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The text of the president’s speech tonight to the convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars meeting in St. Louis is available here. The speech is incredibly warm, moving, and powerful. Here’s my favorite part: “On Memorial Day last year, I visited the military cemetery at Normandy, and saw the grave of one of the founders of the American Legion, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. When Roosevelt landed with the first wave of his unit on D-Day, he and his men found themselves in a different part of Utah Beach from the point they expected. Roosevelt quickly sized up the situation and called in a whole division to the new sector. Turning a challenge into an advantage, he declared: we’ll start the war from here. (Applause.)
“Well, a great challenge came to America on September the 11th, 2001. Enemies who plotted for years in secret, carried out missions of murder on our own soil. It was a day of suffering and sorrow. It was also a day of decision for our country. As a united and resolute people, America declared: we’ll start the war from here. (Applause.)”
HINDROCKET adds: I was about to post on the President’s speech when I saw that the Trunk had beaten me to it. I just want to add a few additional favorite parts:
“Because America stands for freedom and tolerance and the rights of all, the terrorists have targeted our country. During the last few decades the terrorists grew bolder, believing if they hit America hard, America would retreat and back down. Five years ago, one of the terrorists said that an attack could make America run in less than 24 hours. They’re learning something different today. The terrorists have not seen America running, they’ve seen America marching. They’ve seen the armies of liberation.
“We’ve adopted a new strategy for a new kind of war. We will not wait for known enemies to strike us again. We will strike them and their camps or caves or wherever they hide before they hit more of our cities and kill more of our citizens. We will do everything in our power to deny terrorists weapons of mass destruction before they can commit murder on an unimaginable scale.
“The work of our coalition in Iraq goes on because that country is now a point of testing in the war on terror. The remnants of Saddam’s regime are still dangerous, and terrorists are gathering in Iraq to undermine the advance of freedom. Al-Qaida and the other global terror networks recognize that the defeat of Saddam Hussein’s regime is a defeat for them. They know that a democratic Iraq in the heart of the Middle East would be a further defeat for their ideology of terror. They know that the spread of peace and hope in the Middle East would undermine the appeal of bitterness, resentment, and violence. And the more progress we make in Iraq, the more desperate the terrorists will become. Freedom is a threat to their way of life.
“Retreat in the face of terror would only invite further and bolder attacks. There will be no retreat….
“We also remember what this fight is about. Our military is confronting terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan and in other places so our people will not have to confront terrorist violence in New York, or St. Louis, or Los Angeles.
“This nation has been tested before — by the character of men and women like you, we’ve come through every trial.
“And so it is today. Our course is set. Our purpose is firm. No act of terrorists will weaken our resolve or alter their fate. Our only goal, our only option, is total victory in the war on terror. And this nation will press on to victory.”
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“Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.” Winston Churchill
“Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof.” Inscription on the Liberty Bell | <urn:uuid:1b7643a4-294f-407e-8851-8162c98d1fba> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2003/08/004361.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948381 | 901 | 1.703125 | 2 |
Food for Life Partnership wins BBC award
23 November 2011
Today the Soil Association led Food for Life Partnership was awarded the prestigious BBC Radio 4 Derek Cooper Award. The award recognises 'unsung heroes, whose work has increased our access to, and knowledge and appreciation of, good food'. For five years the Soil Association and its three partners in the project – Health Education Trust, Garden Organic and Focus on Food Campaign – have been working with schools and communities across England to transform their food cultures, and the award is fitting recognition for the impact the scheme has had. The Partnership uses food as a way to improve the whole school experience – making lunchtimes a positive feature of the day and enriching classroom learning with farm visits and practical cooking and growing.
'We know that children are eating more fruit and veg as a result of their participation,' says Emma Noble, the co-director of the Partnership. 'We know that the programme helps "close the gap" in health and academic attainment between disadvantaged children and their peers; that schools show a significant increase in free school meal uptake which is crucial in encouraging healthy eating habits; and twice as many primary schools receive an Outstanding Ofsted rating after working with the Food for Life Partnership.'
Sheila Dillon, presenter of The Food Programme and host of the awards ceremony in Birmingham, has described the Food for Life Partnership as 'the most important food project in Europe'. Speaking in the Summer she described the impact of the Partnership's work: 'For years, for decades, we've been looking for this golden way of changing attitudes to food. The Food for Life Partnership has changed things, it's remarkable. It seems to me that if we lost what the Food for Life Partnership has achieved it would not only be a disaster for the schools and the children, it would be a disaster for the entire British society.'
Congratulations to everyone involved in the Partnership. | <urn:uuid:104e08ef-b6f5-4ce0-871e-aa1a85f4e6a2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://soilassociation.org/news/newsstory/articleid/2801/food-for-life-partnership-wins-bbc-award | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968637 | 384 | 1.796875 | 2 |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Buying school supplies every year adds up and it can be frustrating for parents to buy supplies that their children do not like or that do not work well. First for you, "experts" from the Brooks Family YMCA put some of the most requested school supplies to the test.
"For reading we usually color pictures about what we just read," explained John Dillon Currie, a fifth grade student at Jacksonville Beach Elementary School.
Markers made their way onto almost every child's school supply list this year. To find out which ones work best, Currie and two other children tested them out by coloring.
"Last year I had different markers than this," shared Hayley Stephens while coloring with Crayola markers. "These work better because mine last year, they dried out."
Masie Perry, a student at St. Johns Grammar School, agreed with both Currie and Stephens. Their least favorite markers were from Dollar Tree.
"Those were too hard to color with," exclaimed Perry.
All three children said that the pack of markers by Cra-Z-Art were the best.
"It looks better than the other ones," Currie said describing the page he colored with the Cra-Z-Art markers.
- Cra-Z-Art $0.50 at Walmart
- Crayola $1.97 at Walmart
- Dollar Tree brand $1.00
As soon as students learn to write, notebook paper soars to the top of their school supply lists.
Students Ellie Burningham, Gracie McCrea and Nicholas Consuegra tested paper made by Roselle, Norcom and Five Star.
"I had this last year and if I would take it out, it would rip," said McCrea while writing on the Roselle paper, which is sold at Dollar Tree stores.
"I think I like this paper better than this one," Consuegra said, choosing the Norcom paper over the Roselle brand.
However, the favorite choice of the girls was the reinforced paper made by Five Star.
"It feels a lot thicker than the other two," explained McCrea.
Burningham said she was not swayed by the fact that the Five Star Paper costs more than three times what the other brands sell for in stores.
"It would probably be worth it," Burningham shrugged.
- Five Star reinforced filler paper $3.47 at Walmart
- Norcom notebook paper $0.82 at Walmart
- Roselle filler paper $1.00 at Dollar Tree
Our testers tried three different brands of student scissors to see which one would make the cut.
Jack Champion, a second grade student at Kernan Trail Elementary, preferred Fiskars pointed-tip safety-edge scissors.
"They cut better," Champion reasoned.
The other two students preferred a pair made by Caliber with cushioned handles.
"They're smaller and they're lighter and I think they're easier to use," explained Providence School third grader Ellie McCrea.
"They're much lighter, so I think they're much easier," agreed Macy Mackiewitz, a fourth grade student.
A pair of student scissors from Dollar Tree earned the lowest marks from the panel.
"They're longer than the other pair and they're kind of harder to use [be]cause you have to turn them every time," said McCrea.
- Caliber soft handle pointed scissors $2.99 at CVS ($1.00 with CVS card)
- Fiskars pointed-tip safety-edge scissors $1.47 at Walmart
- Student scissors $1.00 at Dollar Tree
The Duval County Public Schools posted a list on their website naming basic supplies every child needs. On it, glue sticks were listed at the top second only to pencils.
To determine which glue students should stick with, three children glued construction paper shapes to poster board.
The Dollar Tree brand got the least positive reviews. One second grade student said it was too easy to pull the glued paper off.
Cra-Z-Art came in second place for the kids, but got negative reactions because the glue was clear, instead of tinted purple.
"I can't really see it because it didn't really show up because it's white," said Avrielle Gibson, a first grade student at Loretto Elementary School.
Jedidiah Bowser agreed that the Cra-Z-Art glue was not the best.
"It's not that sticky and you have to put lots of it on to make the paper stick on," he explained. Elmer's Washable School Glue Stick earned the best reviews.
"It is pretty sticky and it's really purple," said Jedidiah.
"You can see it and that's my favorite color," Avrielle added.
- Elmer's Washable School Glue Stick $1.62 at Walmart
- Cra-Z-Art Washable Jumbo Glue Stick $1.42 at Walmart (2 pack)
- Glue Sticks $1.00 at Dollar Tree (4 pack)
The YMCA's annual "I Heart Art" art supplies drive
began this week. Donors can drop off supplies at any local Y to help children like those featured in this story stay creative.
First Coast News | <urn:uuid:0cd20d87-b770-40ce-913c-ef4810172a95> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/article/269059/18/Back-to-school-supply-test | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972024 | 1,107 | 1.601563 | 2 |
|Wednesday, November 24th, 2010||| CWK Producer|
“That night, I came home to my parents, and said, I can't do this anymore. I'm tired, I don't like it, I want to quit.”
– Chandler, 19 years old
What's going on with teens today? Headlines tell tales of bullying, drug abuse, depression and anxiety. In addition to academic pressures, thousands of kids have jam-packed days, filled with sports, drama, dance, music lessons. According to the organization Citizenship Through Sports Alliance, 70% of kids quit youth sports by the time they are 14.
Why? And when can it really be healthy for kids to quit?
Chandler, age 19, started playing the game at the age of nine and loved it. And then she got to high school ... where expectations increased, competition intensified and coaches added early morning workouts.
"It started at 6 a.m. They had us hop onto three boxes and then jump up and touch the rim. I was so tired at this point. I was jumping as hard as I could, as high as I could, but I could not get that rim," says Chandler.
Chandler had a decision to make. She spent six years of her life learning the game, perfecting her shot, trying to increase her speed. But chandler was changing and learning to think for herself.
"That night, I came home to my parents, and said, I can't do this anymore. I'm tired, I don't like it, I want to quit. They were worried I was giving up, and they didn't want to instill that value in me. They wanted me to be a kid who would not stop at anything... but the thing is, that outcome in the end was not going to be rewarding enough for me," says Chandler.
It's a challenge for lots of parents.... When do you let kids quit? But ask a coach about kids who play for their parents ... in time, the game becomes a wedge between the parent and the child.
"So maybe the backlash isn't 'I'm going to mess up on the court' but 'I'm not going to talk to you at dinner, I am not going to share with you dreams and ideas, we're not going to have those good ol' heart-to-hearts, we're not going to do that.' You know, I am going to be your employee, I am going to go score some points and we won't have a relationship outside of that," says Greg McClaire, a middle and high school basketball coach.
How many kids are playing a sport ... taking lessons ... picking classes to please their parents... and not themselves? And, in the end, is that why some of them will fail?
Experts surmise that to some degree, the joy is lost in a constant striving for trophies, rewards and recognition – external values versus intrinsic motivations.
"When we do things we don't want to do that are extrinsic, um, that are sort of directed from the outside, we can do them, but they, they tire us out, they burn us out, um, we don't get that sense of enjoyment or joy," says Keith Campbell, Ph.D., and head of the Psychology Department at the University of Georgia.
The number of kids who are anxious and clinically depressed has tripled in recent years. Experts say one reason may be the pressure to live a life not their own. Experts urge parents to make sure kids enjoy their activities and that they're not just playing to please others.
"The biggest thing was that I got my confidence back. I was doing something that made me happy...that I felt that I was doing not for others, but for internal reasons," says Chandler.
Refocusing goals from today's "race for reward" to more intrinsic values including integrity, compassion, perseverance and responsibility requires parental and community support. Chandler DeWitt, a teen author reflecting upon her high school experiences, and wrote a book with short stories about the stress, anxiety, competition, cruelty, the need to please, and all of the day-to-day tension. "While I was in high school, sometimes I felt like I was living for someone else. Rather than trying to figure out who I was, I was trying to be the person someone else wanted me to be. I knew many of my friends felt that way too, but no one should live life that way," she says. "If everybody is honest, a lot of the pressure to perform comes from our parents, teachers and other adults."
Twenty million kids register each year for youth hockey, football, baseball, soccer, and other competitive sports. The National Alliance for Sports reports that 70 percent of these kids quit playing these league sports by age 13 -- and never play them again.
According to Michael Pfahl, executive director of the National Youth Sports Coaches Association, "The number one reason (why they quit) is that it stopped being fun." With that in mind, here are some key points to remember about kids playing sports. | <urn:uuid:c6f0dc9d-a691-4d88-905c-83400c298f62> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.connectwithkids.com/tipsheet/2010/517_nov24/thisweek/101124_quit.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98646 | 1,059 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Brooke Army Medical Center is a modern state-of-the-art, health care facility that provides Level 1 Trauma and Graduate Medical Education at Fort Sam Houston. The physical appearance and efficiency of space throughout the hospital creates a user-friendly, high quality health care environment for patients, their families and health care providers.
Located in the eastern sector of Fort Sam Houston, the Medical Center complex houses seven buildings, with a total of 1,473 million square feet of operational space and one million square feet of interstitial space. It includes a medical treatment facility, a medical research laboratory and a central energy plant. There are 450 inpatient beds of which 48 are ICU beds and 40 are dedicated to the Institute of Surgical Research. The Hospital is capable of expanding to 651 beds if needed to support wartime mobilization.
The hospital includes 12 operating rooms, five oral surgery suites, four dental rooms, a diagnostic and therapeutic radiology center, a same day surgery suite and the requisite outpatient clinic and ancillary support services. The auditorium on the fourth floor seats 278 and the dining facility on the lower level seats 198.
Brooke Army Medical Center is the Army's most modern health care facility and the Army's only Level 1 Trauma Center. The graduate medical education programs, residents and fellowships provide the highest quality specialty care. It is the home of the Institute for Surgical Research and its Burn Center. There are 58 specialty clinics and conducts more than 600 ongoing research protocols each year in areas such as cardiology, dermatology, orthopedics, urology and emergency medicine.
The Brooke Army Medical Center TRICARE Service Center is located on the main post of Fort Sam Houston Building #1102. | <urn:uuid:4f883ae2-2ddf-4922-b369-3fb078e9f2fe> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armybaseprofiles/ss/samhouston_9.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93026 | 348 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Jordan, J and Slater, M (2009) An Analysis of Eye Scanpath Entropy in a Progressively Forming Virtual Environment. PRESENCE-TELEOP VIRT , 18 (3) 185 - 199.
Full text not available from this repository.
A sign of presence in virtual environments is that people respond to situations and events as if they were real, where response may be considered at many different levels, ranging from unconscious physiological responses through to overt behavior, emotions, and thoughts. In this paper we consider two responses that gave different indications of the onset of presence in a gradually forming environment. Two aspects of the response of people to an immersive virtual environment were recorded: their eye scanpath, and their skin conductance response (SCR). The scenario was formed over a period of 2 min, by introducing an increasing number of its polygons in random order in a head-tracked head-mounted display. For one group of experimental participants (n = 8) the environment formed into one in which they found themselves standing on top of a 3 m high column. For a second group of participants (n = 6) the environment was otherwise the same except that the column was only 1 cm high, so that they would be standing at normal ground level. For a third group of participants (n = 14) the polygons never formed into a meaningful environment. The participants who stood on top of the tall column exhibited a significant decrease in entropy of the eye scanpath and an increase in the number of SCR by 99 s into the scenario, at a time when only 65% of the polygons had been displayed. The ground level participants exhibited a similar decrease in scanpath entropy, but not the increase in SCR. The random scenario grouping did not exhibit this decrease in eye scanpath entropy. A drop in scanpath entropy indicates that the environment had cohered into a meaningful perception. An increase in the rate of SCR indicates the perception of an aversive stimulus. These results suggest that on these two dimensions (scanpath entropy and rate of SCR) participants were responding realistically to the scenario shown in the virtual environment. In addition, the response occurred well before the entire scenario had been displayed, suggesting that once a set of minimal cues exists within a scenario, it is enough to form a meaningful perception. Moreover, at the level of the sympathetic nervous system, the participants who were standing on top of the column exhibited arousal as if their experience might be real. This is an important practical aspect of the concept of presence.
|Title:||An Analysis of Eye Scanpath Entropy in a Progressively Forming Virtual Environment|
|Keywords:||MOVEMENTS, REALITY, SEARCH, ATTENTION, SCENES|
|UCL classification:||UCL > School of BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Computer Science|
Archive Staff Only: edit this record | <urn:uuid:992fc899-7a7b-43fc-a747-17e93d78ffa4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/80015/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943588 | 588 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Google to Users: 'Pop-Up Ads Annoy Us Too'Popular search engine Google.com wants its users to know that it, too, is annoyed by pop-up advertisements and that it does not allow them on its Web site.
The company said its stance is in response to more than 100 complaints from users about pop-up ads unwittingly deploying when they search on Google.com. Google laid out its position in a note on its Web site, "Are Pop-Up Ads Allowed on Google?" which can be accessed through a link on its home page.
"Google does not allow pop-up ads of any kind on our site," the note reads. "We find them annoying."
The note goes on to offer a number of explanations why pop-ups might be deploying during users' search sessions: They may have typed the Web address incorrectly and be accessing a "squatter" site; they may have visited a site that employs pop-under ads that launch behind a browser; or they may have recently installed a free music-sharing program that added software to their computers that launches ads.
"This is not at all a campaign against pop-ups," said Matt Cutts, a software engineer at Google.com. "It's a response to third-party companies showing ads on Google without permission. A very simple proactive tactic Google can take to educate our users."
Cutts pointed out that Google.com has never employed pop-up ads and does not plan to do so anytime soon. The search engine does, however, employ text-based ads, which are tied to keyword searches. So, for example, if someone does a search for "automobile," short, text ads for automotive companies will be displayed in the right-hand column of the results page. Google calls these ads AdWords.
"It's been a persistent complaint," Cutts said. "So we decided to give users a wide variety of options up to and including contacting the FTC [Federal Trade Commission]."
Google explains in its note that users can download software to eliminate hidden pop-up ad programs. It also provides the phone number, URL and physical address of the FTC's complaint department.
"We get literally thousands of e-mails each week," Cutts said. "We feel that if one user writes in, about 100 others experiencing the same problem don't. We're trying to reach that silent user base." | <urn:uuid:d72713b8-0b8f-4f05-9364-e471c0a6cd64> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dmnews.com/google-to-users-pop-up-ads-annoy-us-too/printarticle/76300/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960513 | 495 | 1.570313 | 2 |
When the weather is bitter, when the world presses too close and my heart is lonely, or a hunger sets in that food alone will not satisfy, nothing lifts spirits and fills the void in my heart and stomach like a warm, fragrant loaf of homemade bread.
There’s something elemental and deeply satisfying about bread baking, something that reconnects me to my roots. Never do I feel closer to my mother than when I’m kneading a loaf and getting it ready for the oven. And as that heady aroma of toasting yeast and wheat fills the house, it sends a warmth that goes clean through to the bone, penetrating and thawing much more than chilled fingers and toes.
Really good bakeries are relatively new to the South, so when Paula and I were growing up, the only really good bread that we could count on was made at home. That’s still true in the more rural communities of our region; but even in cities where really good bread can be bought, there’s just no substitute for a loaf made with our own hands.
This is my own mother’s all-purpose yeast dough. She makes it into rolls for home, the standard bread for all our holiday meals, but she also makes it into small, neat loaves to give comfort to a shut-in, ailing or grieving neighbor—and to a son who is reluctantly going away after too short a visit home. Though we probably had Mama’s rolls most often, it’s those little loaves that best say home and love for me.
Mama’s Buttermilk Bread
Makes 4 small (7-inch) loaves, 3 9-inch loaves, or about 3 dozen rolls
2 pounds (about 7 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar, reserve one pinch for proofing yeast
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
½ cup water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter or oil
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Reserve 1 cup of flour to use during the kneading. Whisk or sift together the remaining flour, sugar, soda, and salt.
Heat the milk, water, and butter or oil and pinch of sugar until just warm (110° F.), stirring until the butter is melted. Let cool slightly and dissolve the yeast in it. Let proof 10 minutes (All baker’s yeast should be given a test called proofing to make sure it’s still alive. To proof yeast, dissolve it in warm water and add a pinch of sugar. Set the mixture aside in a warm place for 5 to 10 minutes. If it begins to swell and foam, the yeast is alive, active and capable of leavening bread), then make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid. Work it into a soft dough. Lightly sprinkle a work surface with some of the reserved flour, turn out the dough, and knead about 8 minutes, adding flour as needed, until the dough is elastic and smooth.
Clean the mixing bowl and return the dough to it, cover with damp, double-folded towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 4 hours, or lightly oil the bowl before putting the dough in, cover with plastic wrap, let it rise in a cool spot or the refrigerator overnight or for at least 8 hours, keeping it refrigerated until you are ready for the final shaping and rising.
Lightly grease four small (7½ -by-2¼ inch) loaf pans with butter or olive oil. Punch the dough down and lightly knead for a minute. Divide it into quarters, shape each into an oblong loaf, and put them into the pans. Cover with a double-folded damp towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled and clearing the tops of the pans, about 1-to-1½ hours.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375° F. Uncover the bread and bake in the center of the oven 20 minutes, then increase the temperature to 400° F. and bake until the loaves are well-browned and hollow-sounding when tapped, about 15 minutes longer. Turn the bread out of the pans and cool it on wire racks.
Buttermilk Rolls or Yeast Biscuits: Roll the dough out ¼-inch thick and cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour. Place on a greased baking sheet about an inch apart for separate rolls or into greased 9-inch cake pans, slightly touching, for cluster rolls. For pocketbook rolls, crease each roll firmly down its center with a knife, fold over, and put a greased baking sheet about an inch apart. For cloverleaf rolls, lightly butter two 12-well standard muffin tins; grease your hands, pinch off 1-inch lumps of dough, roll into tight smooth balls, and put in the tins three balls per well. Cover with a damp towel, let rise until doubled, then uncover and bake at 450° F. until browned, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Bread: Substitute from 1 to 3 cups of whole-wheat flour for the regular flour. Most whole-wheat flour tends to be on the thirsty side and may need a little more liquid, so have about a quarter of a cup of room temperature water close at hand as you mix the dough, so it can be added as needed. | <urn:uuid:78c017de-0d12-4f98-b7e6-4838e5168a0c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pauladeen.com/print/food_section_articles/1867 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932339 | 1,153 | 1.757813 | 2 |
How do you deal with a genocidal dictator who says he wants to reform?
For more than a decade, Sudan has been the quintessential pariah state. Its armed forces carried out a campaign of genocide in Darfur, killing more than 300,000; its president, Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir, has been indicted for crimes against humanity. The Khartoum regime waged a long and unsuccessful war to prevent its non-Arab south from seceding; now that the new nation of South Sudan is independent, the regime is still attacking suspected separatists in areas under its control. Sudan even landed on the official U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, in part because it sheltered Osama bin Laden during the 1990s.
"The government has a legitimate complaint" about rebel groups in Darfur that have refused to talk peace, envoy Princeton Lyman told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "You can't expect the government to come to the table to talk about [rebel demands for] overthrowing the regime."
The committee's chairman, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), agreed. The United States can't hold Khartoum solely accountable, he said, "if the players in Darfur aren't choosing to be part of the process."
Kerry and Lyman weren't defending the Khartoum government across the board; far from it. They both insisted that the array of U.S. sanctions on Sudan should remain in place until Bashir has done more to make peace, beginning with resolving his government's remaining disputes with South Sudan.
Here's the U.S. dilemma: No one likes dealing with Bashir or his regime; they'd prefer to see him gone. But as a practical matter, they don't have much choice, for a lot of reasons. Economic sanctions have squeezed the regime but haven't come close to bringing it down. No Western power has been willing to consider military intervention. So to bring peace to South Sudan and Darfur, the Obama administration has had to offer Khartoum positive incentives — promises that sanctions could be lifted if Sudan's behavior improves.
Besides, Bashir isn't the only threat to peace. One of the Obama administration's worries is that the strongest rebel group in Darfur, the Justice and Equality Movement, backed by Libya's Moammar Kadafi, hopes to form an alliance with southern separatists and launch a wider war. That's why Lyman and Kerry were willing to take Khartoum's side on the issue of the Darfur negotiations.
Bashir, who seized power in 1989, is no liberal; he's a wily survivor. He says he wants to normalize his relationship with the United States and the outside world, and under pressure from international sanctions he's taken halting steps toward moderation. But every step has come slowly and painfully, and often with actions that diluted their impact.
Bashir didn't want to grant South Sudan its independence, but once secession was inevitable, he accepted the outcome and even attended last weekend's independence ceremonies. At the same time, he escalated conflicts along the new nation's border, moving troops into the disputed region of Abyei and stepping up attacks on separatists — and civilians — in the Nuba Mountains.
He has presided over a de-escalation of the Sudanese military campaign in Darfur and participated in peace negotiations with rebel groups there. But he has also pursued a divide-and-conquer strategy to prevent the rebels from unifying. His regime signed a peace agreement last week with one small rebel faction, but it simultaneously increased military pressure on larger groups like the Justice and Equality Movement.
Apparently rattled by the Arab Spring revolts in neighboring Egypt and Libya, and defensive about his loss of South Sudan, Bashir has proclaimed that Sudan must now become a "second republic," complete with a new constitution, a "guarantee of citizens rights" and "a commitment to the rule of law." But he hasn't loosened the grip of his security forces or taken any concrete steps toward liberalization.
He has, however, broken Sudan's ties with Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. U.S. officials say Sudan has become an active partner of the United States in counter-terrorism, providing help not only inside its borders but elsewhere in the Arab world.
These moves helped earn Bashir a promise that the Obama administration would review Sudan's place on the terrorism list — and presumably remove it as long as Khartoum carries out the terms of its peace agreement with South Sudan.
Bashir claims he's already kept his side of the deal by allowing South Sudan to achieve independence. The administration says it's waiting for the two Sudans to settle their unresolved disputes. At some point, however, the administration will have to decide whether Bashir has reformed enough to merit a partial relaxation of U.S. sanctions.
There is an alternative.
Instead of pursuing continued piecemeal negotiations with an unpalatable regime over its many regional disputes, the administration could focus instead on changing the regime itself.
"It's time to move in a more radical direction," urges John Prendergast, a former Clinton administration official who works on the issue at a Democratic think tank, the Center for American Progress, and advised film star George Clooney during his travels to Darfur. "The problem is the regime in Khartoum. We've taken action in Egypt, Libya and now Syria; the next target should be Sudan."
But regime change is a high-risk, high-cost strategy, and the United States is already stretched among three wars. This is a choice between the unpalatable and the impractical.
It makes sense to keep negotiating — and to take Sudan off the terrorism list as soon as U.S. conditions are met. As a factual matter, it no longer belongs there. The administration promised to review the issue if Bashir fulfilled the peace agreement with South Sudan; failure to deliver would convince Sudan's leaders that U.S. promises are empty. Even if Sudan comes off the terrorism list, other sanctions, stemming from the war in Darfur, will still apply.
It's true that Sudan needs a new and better regime. But as we've learned in Egypt, Libya, Syria and Iran, regime change isn't a goal that outside powers can force. For now, negotiations with Bashir, difficult and frustrating as they are, are the only path available. | <urn:uuid:09a59f82-754d-46b3-933c-8375c4dea984> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wkoa.com/wkoa/news/elections/la-oe-mcmanus-sudan-20110717,0,182916.column | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96969 | 1,317 | 1.71875 | 2 |
Okay enough of the frivolous business of Paris and Provence – back to some hard core family history.
Over the past few weeks I’ve been studying the coursework from another Pharos course, this one on One Place Studies (OPS). I was so tempted to focus on one of my easy ancestral places in England or Scotland where I know there are lots of sources, but in the end I knew I had to bite the bullet and look at Broadford in east County Clare.
Now I’m going to do some thinking “out loud” so to speak. My hope in doing that is to see if any of my readers have experience in this process and can offer some advice, especially around how to store the data.
As I mention on my blog page about Broadford and East Clare, I have an interest in the emigrants from this area. Some years ago as part of an online Advanced Diploma in Local History, I built a database of anyone I could identify as coming to New South Wales (including Moreton Bay and Victoria prior to separation) between 1848 and 1870. I used the NSW Board’s Immigrant Lists and the Immigration Deposit Journals[i] (both of which I’ll be talking about in a later Beyond the Internet post).
There are limitations to the data for a variety of reasons I won’t go into here, but in the early 1860s Broadford played a pivotal role in the Australian migration process. Over the years I’ve played with my database trying to take the study a step further and make linkages between the emigrants and the records in Broadford with only limited success. Every now and then I have another dabble then give up in frustration. Part of the problem is that I don’t like the database (no one to blame there but myself!). The One Place Study course was a strategy for making myself look at it further.
My ultimate goal is not to do a One Place Study per se. Even though I’ve visited Broadford four times, I don’t really have the in-depth knowledge of a local person born and bred. There is a researcher who has expertise in the area, Pat O’Brien (unfortunately not related to my O’Briens from the same area). Pat did his Masters thesis at Limerick University on Broadford 1830-1850[ii] and has also written several articles for the East Clare magazine, Sliabh Aughty. Perhaps my contribution will be to analyse the emigrants, make some linkages, and crunch some data.
As a general rule, a One Place Study aims to reconstitute the families in a parish or village, revealing their kinship links and also learning more about population changes and who lived in that place. Of course other documentary sources are also used to build up the story of the village, its industry or occupations, migration patterns etc. The One Place Study website is useful but there aren’t too many studies for Ireland, though I was pleased to see a couple. Interestingly there are a few in Australia too which I’ve used without realising their formal role as an OPS.
Now I’m going to stick my neck out here, and say it’s pretty difficult to do family reconstitution in the Republic of Ireland. The primary reason for that is the paucity of parish records. For example in Broadford, the RC parish registers start in 1844 but they’re very difficult to read, and initially they don’t mention which townland the person comes from. The Church of Ireland registers are no longer extant. Add to that the absence of (almost all) census records until 1901, and family reconstitution takes on a whole new level of complexity. Throw in the Irish Famine, An Gorta Mór, with its horrendous toll of death and migration and it gets worse.
As a trial I have focused on my ancestral townland of Ballykelly in the hills near Broadford. About 15-20 families lived there c1852, so as I work through initial phases of this process it’s manageable. The documents I have to work with are:
- My transcription of the RC parish registers for Kilseily parish from 1844 to 1866 (in Excel and also my DB)
- Transcription of the townland residents, and owners, from the Griffith Valuations (GV) of 1852 (in Excel).
- Some information on the changed inheritance under the GV revisions (more to come from the microfilm)
- Transcription of the 1827 Tithe Applotments (TA)
- Link between the GV and TA data.
- Analysis of 1901 and 1911 census data with a particular focus on those people who were born between 1840 and 1870.
- Australian migration data 1848-1870 which mention Broadford or east Clare parishes or townlands. It does however include parents’ names, whether they were alive or dead at the time of migration and relatives in the colony. I’ve also done some work on linking them to relatives on board the ship.
- I have occupation and literacy analyses from my previous study and drawing on the DB data.
- Findmypast Ireland has some records which in theory should be searchable by place but don’t always work and Ancestry can also be searched by place.
- Newspaper downloads after place searching.
- Valuation maps which can be annotated with residents in the Griffith Valuation.
- Census statistics from Histpop. I also have some data I collected previously through a site link that’s no longer active.
- Reference books, theses and journal articles.
Do you have any thoughts on how I can link these up?
I’m wondering if it would work to document each person in a genealogy program which would then let me link up those I know to be families, or have them as stand-alone individuals until I know more.
Could I link all the Broadford families under a hypothetical set of pseudo-parents, called for example, Male Broadford and Female Broadford? I thought this might be a way I could see everyone who comes from Broadford and slowly see what the linkages are. Has anyone else done this and found it will work? Perhaps for a One Name Study?
I love Excel and can use databases, but somehow there’s still a dysjunction between the data. I’m not a fan of genealogy software (yes, strange I know) which is part of why I’m floating these ideas.
Any pearls of wisdom or lateral thoughts would be much appreciated.
[i] Pastkeys originally indexed the IDJs. See http://www.pastkeys.com.au/Images/Irish%20in%20the%20NSW%20IDJs.pdf. The indexes are now also on Ancestry, I’ve just discovered.
[ii] O’Brien, P. Broadford. County Clare 1830-1850: A study of a rural community. Unpublished MA (History and Local Studies), University of Limerick, 1999. | <urn:uuid:2b5daff4-d8f7-4fb0-9c37-e3d3641ddbd6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cassmob.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/one-place-study-broadford-co-clare-ireland/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956024 | 1,492 | 1.625 | 2 |
Absolutely, Positively Obsolete. Maybe Not!Monday, October 1, 2012
Okay, so there is that one part that you have got to have to fix your sweeper/scrubber. You’re thinking, “it has been a good machine over the years. It is running good, drives and handles well and still sweeps and scrubs quite well. The operator has come to learn how to make it clear, perfectly every time. It is starting to get a little age on it but you think it still has a lot of life yet. The good is that it is completely paid for. Yes, it is a good machine.
Yes, all thoughts were racing through your mind while you are on the telephone with the parts company. The parts technician gets back on the phone to answer your price and availability question. “Sorry, that part is obsolete.” “Obsolete!” you say, “it can’t be.” Your machine just blew up in front of you in your thoughts. Now, what a major downer! You are stunned and repeat yourself without realizing that you have already said it. “It can’t be obsolete!” The tech answers, “Is there anything else I can help you with?” Without hesitation you answer, “Yes, I need this part.” “Sorry, sir” is the reply. The phone call is now concluded.
You sit there a minute trying to understand just what just took place. You think, I have to find this part. This story occurs everyday and many good machines are put down (scrapped) because of this one phone call. It doesn’t have to be this way all of the time.
Obsoleted parts are done for many reasons. The main reason people think is that machine manufacturer discontinued the parts because your machine is old. That may be true in some instances, in fact, that is not always the case. I have seen parts discontinued on brand new machines through design changes. Tennant discontinued a part number for an actuator on a new T15 machine recently, only to find out there is a new number. The model and serial number has to be given to Tennant, because there is a newly different designed actuator. So, in this case a part number was available, however a little different in design.
So, that is one example. Another example of an obsolete part is that the machine is getting a little older and the manufacturer does not sell the part as much. The sweeper/scrubber manufacturer may have to buy a minimum of these parts (say 1,000) at a time. While they may be selling approximately 200 pieces a year. They may be thinking of this and ask, “Why would anyone buy 1,000 pieces while selling only 200 a year? That is five years worth of parts.” On top of that the machine is getting older, so down the road they will sell less and less. The answer is to discontinue the part!
You can not put blame on the sweeper/scrubber manufacturer; it is just good business sense to do this. There is no business that would make these types of investments. They would be out of business really quick.
Another reason a part is obsolete is that the manufacturer of the part just stopped producing it. In this instance the sweeper/scrubber manufacturer has two choices: #1 it can try to source or find a new part or #2 obsolete the part. Again, in the majority of instances the part is made obsolete or NLA (No longer available).
So the next time someone tells you: “The part is obsolete.” You have to ask yourself is this part number absolutely, positively obsolete? The answer
is maybe not!
I would like to here your story. My e-mail is firstname.lastname@example.org. Tell me your horror story or maybe I can help! I can be a good source for obsolete parts.
Thanks for reading. | <urn:uuid:7b3d20bd-2c13-41d4-903c-6095518b51c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mhnetwork.com/news/absolutely-positively-obsolete-maybe-not/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974458 | 842 | 1.820313 | 2 |
On May 13th, the newspaper reports, “Chief of Police Gibson… Mayor Rodgers, the license committee, consisting of Councilmen Waldo, Presnell and Frazier, and a Journal reporter,” inspected 18 downtown saloons. They found only one saloon in compliance, and at least one husband in the doghouse.
Two sections of the ordinance occasioned the most egregious violations:
Section seven of the ordinance says that no drinks shall be served in any room except the main bar room, yet many of the saloons maintained large back rooms, almost entirely shut off by partitions, which contained tables upon which drinks were served.As a result of the inspection
Section eight of the ordinance says that no bar room shall be maintained having in connection with it any box or room smaller than ten by sixteen feet, and that when such rooms are maintained they shall face the main aisle and be entirely open, having no doors, or curtains and no private entrances. Practically none of the saloons have complied with this part of the ordinance. Some of the small boxes were locked, others were used as temporary store rooms, and some were apparently open for business.
The investigating committee decided that saloons were making very little attempt to comply with any part of the ordinance, and others were simply making a farce at living up to the letter of it. One saloon on State street had put in eight feet of clear glass in its front (the ordinance calls for ten) but had so smeared this eight feet over with gaudy lettering that it was almost impossible to see through the window, to say nothing of discovering through it what was going on inside. Others, that had complied with the ordinance so far as the ten feet of clear glass was concerned, had the view of the bar completely obstructed by wooden partitions placed between the bar and the windows.They also found one delinquent husband.
In some of the places, even where the letter of the ordinance has been carried out in regard to the ten feet of glass front, it is impossible, on account of the dark background of the barroom, to see what is going on within. An example of this is clearly shown by an incident that occurred during the inspection tour yesterday. Upon coming out of one of the saloons on Commercial street, which has strictly complied with the glass front regulation of the ordinance, the Chief of Police’s party was confronted by a woman peering through the glass door and straining her eyes as if to find someone. On seeing Chief Gibson, she told him that she thought her husband was inside. Gibson promptly held the door open and the woman pointed out the man, who was promptly led out of the saloon by the head of Salem’s police force.The article listed 18 saloons, all clustered on State and Commercial streets. The deficient saloons:
On State street: Council saloon, Schreiber’s saloon, Senate saloon, Talkington’s saloon, Frank Collin’s saloon, Capital saloon, Monogram saloon, and Noble saloon.
On Commercial street: Bach & Nadstanek saloon, Standard Liquor Co. saloon, Columbia saloon, Swartz & James saloon, Willamette hotel bar, Elk head saloon, Bank saloon, Annex saloon, and Eckerlin’s saloon.
The lone saloon in compliance was Neusbaum’s saloon on Commercial.
Here’s an earlier Talkington Saloon in the Reed Opera House on Court street. And here’s a portrait of him. Unfortunately there are few photos readily accessible. If I find more later, I’ll return to post them. | <urn:uuid:2f962345-9781-4122-90a4-fb6ba66e2f66> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://capitaltaps.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970214 | 765 | 1.71875 | 2 |
As we turn the page on 2011 and turn our eyes to 2012, I wanted to reflect on some of the remarkable things we accomplished together this past year.
In 2011, we added many thousands of people to our Global Solver Community. We distributed more than $2m in Challenge awards. And we welcomed Popular Science and EDF as strategic partners, resulting in a wealth of new Challenges for Solvers to tackle and an expanded pool of diverse minds for our Seekers to tap into. We elevated Novel Molecule Compound (NMC) Challenges, providing higher award amounts and introducing fingerprinting technology, which resulted in greater uptake in Solver engagement and renewed confidence from our Seekers, ultimately leading to a doubling of NMC Challenges posted and solved as compared to 2010.
But we did something much more important. We accomplished the goal we set for ourselves when we embarked on this journey together – and I don’t say this lightly – we changed the world. Together we brought solutions to light that would never have been uncovered any other way. Below are a few of the Challenges that were awarded in 2011 that I’m particularly proud of.
Prize4Life – this was our “walk on the moon” Challenge. The big, audacious goal that we weren’t sure was even achievable, but was so important that it carried a $1m award. First launched in 2006, the Prize4Life Challenge sought a biomarker for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease – a rare disease with such a rapid rate of advancement that there was literally no way to measure its progression. In 2011, Solver Seward Rutkove was awarded the full $1m for his biomarker, which used a method called electrical impedance myography (EIM) to measure the flow of a small electrical current through muscle tissue. This biomarker has the potential to reduce the cost of Phase II clinical trials by more than 50%, and by correlating closely with disease progression, to remove one of the primary obstacles to industry investment in potential ALS therapies.
EDF Nitrate Capture System – PhD candidate Patrick Fuller submitted an innovative solution for the capture of toxic nitrates – and won the award on his first Challenge. This solution could mitigate the 50-80% of fertilizer applied to commercial crops in the U.S. that is not absorbed by plants and is instead lost to water and air, causing dangerous environmental and health impacts in a growing number of watersheds around the country.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Games for Health – anyone who has cared for a chronically sick child knows the challenges that adolescence brings. The increasing need for independence and social interaction makes following a prescribed health regimen difficult. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital came up with a unique approach to inspire teenagers and pre-teens to take care of themselves – a video game. The solution to this Challenge has the potential to dramatically improve health care outcomes for sick kids. We’ll have more news on this solution in the coming weeks.
Humanitarian Air Drop – The Challenges posted by the Air Force Research Labs have truly captured the attention of our Solvers and of the media. Of the seven posted so far, the humanitarian air drop Challenge hits closest to home for me. The notion that distribution of aid to the most vulnerable communities, often in the middle of a war zone, could actually cause harm to people needing that aid, is difficult to accept. Two Solvers, one from Indonesia and one from Peru, solved the Challenge, one of them referencing a well-known mechanism for moving coal from a mine shaft. This is a perfect example of diversity and the uniquely prepared mind at work, as my colleague and InnoCentive Co-Founder Alph Bingham might say.
These Challenges represent just a few of the highlights of 2011. The year 2012 is positioned to be even more impactful – we’ll be awarding new delivery options for the polio vaccine, better sanitation for billions of people in developing countries, and viable disposal options for environmentally toxic electronics. Over the coming weeks and months we’ll be posting new Challenges that promise to be just as interesting, fulfilling, and earth shattering as those we saw in 2011.
Thank you for your continued participation in the InnoCentive Solver Community. | <urn:uuid:22921fdd-7e5e-4fe3-8f29-b9a289e5d5ab> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.innocentive.com/blog/tag/solvers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956777 | 874 | 1.5 | 2 |
Bringing Sunshine through Singing; WSC professors play music every Friday at local nursing home
Dec. 16, 2009 -- When Bill King’s mother suffered a stroke in 2001, conversation became nearly impossible, so they began to communicate through song.
Bill King, professor of English at Western, founded the Sunshine Singers after his mother suffered a stroke.
“After my mother’s stroke, her speech was heavily affected,” King said. “But I realized that she could sing nearly perfectly. So we began to sing together.”
King is a professor of English at Western, and plays the guitar and harmonica.
Later a friend, Andy Keck, professor at mathematics at Western, would come along to the Gunnison Living Community, where King's mother was staying, and play his mandolin.
“Then it just started building, more singers and more musicians started joining us,” King added. “Now we have a large group called the Sunshine Singers, with a good crowd.”
The Sunshine Singers is a collaboration of local musicians who perform every Friday afternoon at the Gunnison Living Community. Anyone is welcome, and the audience consists mostly of residents of the Gunnison Living Community.
King shared that the one common thread in the Sunshine Singers is that many of the musicians have lost loved ones. King’s mother, Dorris, died two years ago but the Sunshine Singers still live on.
The group can be large, with sometimes a dozen musicians performing for 30 people. The music is not always polished, but being a professional act is not the aim of the group.
“It is a mission of love,” King said.
Al Caniff, professor of art at Western, plays with the Sunshine Singers. He said that everyone involved has a good heart and soul to play week after week.
Jeanie Woodbury, assessment coordinator at the Gunnison Living Community, has enjoyed watching the Sunshine Singers grow since the beginning. She said that the group is now an “institution.”
“In addition to enjoying the music, it gives residents something to talk about later on,” Woodbury said. “They can discuss with others what songs they liked, and what performance they liked. It provides an avenue for conversation.”
Jenni Seaman, life enrichment coordinator at the Gunnison Living Community, shared similar thoughts.
“Sunshine Singers has always been the one big event here,” she said.
“One of my favorite things is to watch people who can’t communicate through the speech can communicate through music. It’s amazing to watch someone who has dementia who can’t speak their name, but can sing all the words to ‘You are my Sunshine’.”
Music varies with the season. During the holidays they play Christmas music, over St. Patrick’s Day they play Irish music. ‘You are my Sunshine’ is always the first song and ‘When the Saints Go Marching Home’ is the closer.
Phoebe Cranor, a local writer and poet, is a resident of the Gunnison Living Community who loves the Sunshine Singers. “The songs vary from very spiritual songs to silly ones,” she remarked.
Cranor even performs a humorous antidote or story herself. Beyond the music and the laughter it is the individuals in the Sunshine Singers who keep her coming back week after week.
“It is 45 minutes of my life that go whizzing by,” Cranor said. “I like the singing, the camaraderie and how they involve the audience. Everybody likes it. It’s just a wonderful experience.”
Story by: Luke Mehall, assistant director of public relations and communications | <urn:uuid:6b3d983e-1d91-4a90-ac75-0d426e28f12e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.western.edu/news/bringing-sunshine-through-singing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965258 | 803 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Yesterday, I wrote on the massive new $636 billion “defense” spending bill passed by the House of Representatives. An article in today’s Wall Street Journal should make us further question the efficacy of this type of high-technology spending.
A MQ-1 Predator drone costs some $4.5 million dollars each. They have a wingspan of approximately 48 feet, weigh 2,250 lbs. when loaded, have a range of over 2,000 miles, and have a ceiling altitude of 25,000 ft. They can be loaded with two hellfire missiles, making them available for a combination of reconnaissance, combat or support roles. The MQ-9 Reaper drone, the larger and more-heavily armored cousin of the Predator, cost about $10.5 million each.
The Air Force maintains a fleet of 195 Predators (total cost ~$877.5 million) and 28 Reapers (total cost ~ $294 million). The New York Times reported earlier this year that they are flying 34 daily surveillance patrols in Afghanistan and Iraq, up from 12 in 2006. They transmit some 16,000 hours of video each month.
Insurgents can spend $25.95 to purchase Skygrabber, a program available on the internet which allows them to intercept the video transmitted by these drones.
As distinct from other peoples, most Americans do not recognize — or do not want to recognize — that the United States dominates the world through its military power. Due to government secrecy, our citizens are often ignorant of the fact that our garrisons encircle the planet. This vast network of American bases on every continent except Antarctica actually constitutes a new form of empire — an empire of bases with its own geography not likely to be taught in any high school geography class. Without grasping the dimensions of this globe-girdling Baseworld, one can’t begin to understand the size and nature of our imperial aspirations or the degree to which a new kind of militarism is undermining our constitutional order. —Chalmers Johnson
It is with the context provided by that quotation from historian Chalmers Johnson that one must understand today’s news that the House of Representatives has approved funding today for
defense maintaining the empire. The level of spending has been approved at $636.3 billion dollars– nearly two-thirds of a trillion dollars(see related post on how much a trillion really is) to maintain our network of more than 800 military facilities in more than 140 countries around the world. That spending includes $128.3 billion for fighting our current wars, although Afghanistan is expected to require an additional $30 billion to fund the most recent troop increase.
The shootings at Fort Hood last week have provoked a media feeding frenzy. Questions abound, and there is no dearth of speculation as to the shooter’s motives. Most articles I have seen waste no time pointing out that the shooter was a Muslim, that he exclaimed “Allahu akbar” before shooting, and that he is linked with radical imams and possibly Al Qaeda. That’s from the ostensibly “impartial” media, but there are also a few extremely distasteful editorial perspectives that are unfortunately quite mainstream that I wanted to comment on today. I’m afraid my ability to edit sarcasm out of my posts declines in direct proportion to the insanity and hypocrisy with which I’m confronted, so bear with me.
First, Forbes featured an article by Tunku Varadarajan entitled “Going Muslim“, a play on the old phrase “going postal”. He describes it thusly:
As the enormity of the actions of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan sinks in, we must ask whether we are confronting a new phenomenon of violent rage, one we might dub–disconcertingly–”Going Muslim.” This phrase would describe the turn of events where a seemingly integrated Muslim-American–a friendly donut vendor in New York, say, or an officer in the U.S. Army at Fort Hood–discards his apparent integration into American society and elects to vindicate his religion in an act of messianic violence against his fellow Americans. This would appear to be what happened in the case of Maj. Hasan.
Dan Choi is a well-decorated combat veteran who was dismissed from the military because was gay. His message at the National Equality March rally was simple and compelling. Choi made it clear that he is done asking and he is now telling. Don’t ask, don’t tell must be repealed immediately.
How paranoid have we become? Here’s what Allison Kilkenny of Alternet has to say:
The culture itself is sick, which is why America has a military budget that is almost as much as the rest of the world’s defense spending combined, and is over nine times larger than the military budget of China, and yet Americans feel more afraid, and more paranoid, than ever. Everyone is against us, we’re told. Everyone hates our freedom, and our amazing culture. China wants to overtake us. The entire Middle East wants us dead. Europeans laugh at us, and think we’re stupid. Emperor Penguins are plotting something. Canada is about to attack.
And then there’s Iran. Don’t even get us started on Iran. Until Americans decide to break this addiction to “The List,” this cycle of irrationality will continue into the foreseeable future.
And see this post, for the best friend of America’s politicians: peddling nightmares.
Occasionally, items in the news make me sit up and take notice of how far from a constitutional republic we really have come. Like this:
There is a remote, although gaining, possibility America’s military will intervene as a last resort to resolve the “Obama problem.” Don’t dismiss it as unrealistic.
That’s the opening salvo from John Perry, a regular columnist with the right-wing website Newsmax, in an article entitled “Obama risks a Domestic Military ‘Intervention’”. I would like nothing more than to provide you with a link to the whole article, but it has apparently disappeared down the memory hole. Perhaps the editors at Newsmax realized it would be inconvenient to have an article speculating on the potential for a military coup at the same time they are trumpeting the peacefulness of the tea-party protestors and wondering why anyone would accuse them of encouraging dangerous, violent extremism. The quote I harvested above came from Mediamatters.org, which detailed this story yesterday. Unfortunately, the did not reproduce the full column. I managed to grab a screenshot of the Newsmax website search function, which proves that the article really did exist, although the hyperlink for the article now returns visitors to the main Newsmax page.
Lt. Dan Choi, who was discharged from the military because he had come out as a gay man, received a Service to Humanity award from the Harvard Humanist Chaplaincy. As part of his eloquent speech, Choi burned his discharge letter at the podium.
My initial reaction: Any society that can’t rectify a situation involving this much gross injustice probably can’t get much of anything done. Hint to Congress: Simply write a law that says you won’t kick highly competent soldiers out of the military just because they are gay.
Building on our recent discussion of Afghanistan, a couple of items of interest today. Daring to stand up to the budding consensus that it may be time to get out of Afghanistan, Ruben Navarette today released an commentary on the topic. He notes that “Senior Pentagon officials are expected to ask for as many as 45,000 additional American troops this month. Currently, there are about 68,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.” To him, this is not a bothersome development. He complains that the only “nation-building” the left supports is the type done by the Peace Corps, rather than the military. With no indication why this position is incorrect, he asserts that
“Liberals love to build things, especially with other people’s tax dollars. They just don’t like the idea of U.S. troops doing the building. Maintaining a military presence on foreign soil makes the left nervous because it feeds the perception that the United States has an itch for imperialism and can’t go long without scratching it.”
Maybe it’s just me, but I think it’s the 737 military bases around the world and millions of deployed soldiers that really “feeds the perception” that we have an “itch for imperialism.” I wonder why Navarette doesn’t criticize war-mongering conservatives for “loving to build things, especially with other people’s tax dollars”?After all, the Pentagon estimates that our overseas bases are worth at least $127 billion– does he think they were paid for through donations from grateful Iraqis and Afghanis?
Erich’s comment on my post about the increasing use of contractors as warfighters reminded me of a couple of issues that I had forgotten to raise.
First, the use of these contractors also makes is easier possible for the Executive Branch to fight unpopular wars. CNN released a poll yesterday showing that the oppostion to the war in Afghanistan is at an all-time high, and even über-conservative George Will has said it’s now “Time to get out of Afghanistan.” Imagine how much more forcefully the nation would be calling for withdrawal from Afghanistan if the draft had to be re-instated in order to continue to attempt to impose our will on Afghanistan. Jeremy Scahill reports that
According to new statistics released by the Pentagon, with Barack Obama as commander in chief, there has been a 23% increase in the number of “Private Security Contractors” working for the Department of Defense in Iraq in the second quarter of 2009 and a 29% increase in Afghanistan, which “correlates to the build up of forces” in the country….
Overall, contractors (armed and unarmed) now make up approximately 50% of the “total force in Centcom AOR [Area of Responsibility].” This means there are a whopping 242,657 contractors working on these two US wars. | <urn:uuid:c38eeba3-77aa-4b35-9db4-2809f7be8e4b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://dangerousintersection.org/tag/military/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954243 | 2,155 | 1.710938 | 2 |
7 ways to overcome not being home for the holidays — even if you don't consider yourself a technology whiz.
So, your son never calls from New York.
Or you tried three times to reach your granddaughter in Ohio, but you just keep getting voicemail.
Or maybe you're the daughter who moved away and doesn't reach out to Mom or Grandma as often as you'd both like.
As lives get busier and families more far-flung, families face plenty of challenges trying to stay in touch.
But fear not. You can overcome the distance and even some of the limits of time using technology, even if you don't consider yourself a whiz with a computer or mobile phone. All that social networking stuff isn't just for your kids.
Nana on Facebook
Yes, that's your grandmother on Facebook.
For a growing number of people 65 and older, especially those who don't live near children or grandchildren, Facebook is a lifeline to back home.
As of April 2012, 53 percent of U.S. adults in that age group use the Internet or email, according to the Pew Internet Project. And 18 percent of those use Facebook every day.
You can sign up in less than a minute, search for your children, grandkids or friends around the world. See and share pictures with them. Find out what they're up to, send them messages as easily as if you're emailing — and feel like you're having a family reunion even when you're miles apart.
"I try to make it fun," said Beth Doud, a librarian who teaches classes at two libraries on central Florida's Atlantic Coast. "The great thing, I tell people, is that there's more than one way to do things with computers."
If you can use a cell phone, you can use Apple's FaceTime.
That's all you need to have video conversations with anyone in the world. It works on the iPhone, the iPad, and the Mac. And it's free.
Alternatives exist, mostly notably Skype, but nothing can rival FaceTime for its ease of use.
You push the Facetime icon on your Apple device, choose the person you want to see and — as long as they pick up — you're seeing them and they're seeing you within seconds.
The person on the other end can even switch cameras with a simple touch of a button to show you what they see, such as your grandchild crawling across the floor thousands of miles away.
It's almost like being there.
A Story Before Bed
A Story Before Bed, www.astorybeforebed.com, is a service that lets you record a children's book online with audio and video.
All you need is the webcam and built-in microphone on a computer or iPad, the second generation and newer versions.
Create a free account, browse the online bookstore and record yourself reading an interactive book online. After making a recording, you can buy the book and share a link to your recording via email or Facebook. It's a great way for grandparents, parents and others to connect with young relatives around the country.
You can record several titles for free or you can purchase individual books for $6.99. Monthly subscriptions that allow you to record unlimited books start at $9.99 a month for six months.
The service is free for active-duty military parents who are deployed or about to deploy away from their children.
Keep it simple: text
Challenged by technology but want to keep in contact with the grandchildren over the holidays?
This idea doesn't require a computer, creating a Facebook account, or anything like that. It's called text messaging.
Most people have some kind of cell phone. And while it's very easy to pick up the phone and just call to say "hi," most kids don't answer.
Why? It's not the way they prefer to communicate.
If you want a response from someone a generation or two younger, sending a general "Hey, what's up?" text message with your cell phone is going to get a faster response.
You can even ask them to put on the pink, fuzzy, kitty sweater you sent them for Christmas, snap a photo and text it back to you. That way, you'll see it right away.
While some phone companies still may charge a per-text rate, most include a large or unlimited number of text messages in their plans. But it's always best to check with your carrier before starting.
Record all of your favorite moments with your smartphone — Uncle Bob's holiday toast, decorating the Christmas tree and your children opening presents — then tweet photos, videos or even a short descriptions of the events. By including the hashtag, your family across the country can search #JonesXmas2012 and find all the memories in one place.
Make sure the hashtag you choose is unique to your family — use a family name instead of just #Xmas2012 — so your moments aren't mixed with those of strangers.
If most of your family is out of state, Google+ Hangouts may be handy for you this holiday season.
Hangouts allow you to video chat with up to nine people. It's like Skype, but better.
Here's a quick step-by-step tutorial on how to start hanging out with your family and friends without paying for a plane ticket:
Get a Google+ account if you don't have one. It's simple — and free. Go to plus.google.com and follow the instructions.
After you're signed up, go to plus.google.com/hangouts.
Click the red button that says "start a hangout."
Install Google's Voice and Video Plugin, which takes just a couple clicks and a few minutes.
Click the blue "Join" button.
Once your hangout loads, click the blue "Invite people" button. From there, you can invite your friends by name if they have a Google+ account or by email address or telephone number if they don't.
Pinning it together
Pinterest is a social networking site perfect for recipe hoarders, wannabe crafters, artists, fashionistas and collectors of all sorts.
If you've ever run across a great recipe in a magazine, sworn you would make it, but forgot, with Pinterest, you can snag my friends' recipes, party ideas and fashion finds.
"Pinterest is so easy to use and helps keep my cluttered mind organized," said Marlyn Foell of Satellite Beach, Fla. "Another perk is that my crafting buddy in Michigan can find a great idea and send/show me almost instantly. … No photo downloading, no other research."
That's a perfect fit for the holiday season, when people are sharing ideas about gifts, food and just about anything else.
Pinterest is like an online filing system for cool ideas with the added bonus of letting you hook up with like-minded pinners so you can swipe their ideas.
Contributing: Britt Kennerly, Rob Landers, Susanne Cervenka, Erika Esola and Suzy Fleming Leonard, Florida Today; Scott Tilley and Susan M. Bearden, special to Florida Today. | <urn:uuid:7b57195d-6526-4c9f-9c5a-d50a289775d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/2012/11/23/gadgets-services-stay-in-touch/1722361/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948271 | 1,488 | 1.820313 | 2 |
This old poem is about Zack/Cloud. I always believed Zack to be a strong character.Anyway, this poem "Soldier Silk." is about the strength and gentleness of the love between Zack and Cloud.
Gentle, soft, smooth.
When he carassed your cheek.
When he held your face in his hands.
When he looked into your Mako blue eyes.
Warmth flooded through you
as you saw your love in his dark eyes.
as you knew his love in your eyes.
He always massaged your shoulders when
you felt ill.
You always felt better when he held you.
You ignored the disapproving stares.
The looks of disgust.
You only payed attention to your precious SOLDIER.
Who was like silk to you.
You felt strong when you heard his words.
"Cloud, I love you." He whispered and you felt
aroused as his breath tickled your ear. "My Precious One.
I will give you strength...my baby boy. I won't let anything
happen to you. So long as there is blood in my veins, no one
will ever hurt you. I will be your sword and shield. I will hold
roses to your cheeks and I will give you the Universe. You mean
my life, you mean the sun and the stars to me my precious Cloud.
My every touch will be silk to you. So, don't you worry, my dear
dear soldier. I will make sure that no one will ever harm you."
You melted into blissful oblivion when you felt his words.
When he kissed your lips.
He was like silk
When he carressed your manhood,
When he entered you,
you were one with you precious Zack,
You were the Universe
and you no longer cared what others thought
You only cared about you precious SOLDIER
who was like silk to you. | <urn:uuid:da8a200b-346d-4461-a007-c0a63faa4c1e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ficwad.com/story/901 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975284 | 407 | 1.5 | 2 |
Incontrovertible – I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means
In the latest blow to “consensus”, Dr. Ivar Giaever, a Nobel Laureate, has resigned from the American Physical Society over the group’s position on global warming. His resignation letter minces no words:
Thank you for your letter inquiring about my membership. I did not renew it because I can not live with the statement below:
“Emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are changing the atmosphere in ways that affect the Earth’s climate. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide as well as methane, nitrous oxide and other gases. They are emitted from fossil fuel combustion and a range of industrial and agricultural processes.
“The evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring. If no mitigating actions are taken, significant disruptions in the Earth’s physical and ecological systems, social systems, security and human health are likely to occur. We must reduce emissions of greenhouse gases beginning now.”
In the APS it is ok to discuss whether the mass of the proton changes over time and how a multi-universe behaves, but the evidence of global warming is incontrovertible? The claim (how can you measure the average temperature of the whole earth for a whole year?) is that the temperature has changed from ~288.0 to ~288.8 degree Kelvin in about 150 years, which (if true) means to me is that the temperature has been amazingly stable, and both human health and happiness have definitely improved in this ‘warming’ period.
That’s his emphasis, not mine.
Dr. Giaever’s resignation doesn’t come out of the blue. Fox News reports that he was one of the cosigners of the 2009 letter to President Obama, along with over 100 other scientists, dissenting against the assertion of consensus.
I wrote about the cult of consensus at RedState last year. The point of my post was that it is not only false to state that the case is closed on anthropogenic global warming, it was directly counter to the spirit of scientific inquiry to suppose that it would be, or even to suggest that consensus equals truth. In any other research field, such a claim would be considered preposterous, if not downright heretical.
The news of Dr. Giaever’s resignation comes on the heels of another blow to the notion of “incontrovertible evidence” this past July. A study published in the journal Remote Sensing (PDF) highlights several discrepancies in previously relied-upon data. From the Tuscon Citizen:
Data from NASA’s Terra satellite shows that when the climate warms, Earth’s atmosphere is apparently more efficient at releasing energy to space than models used to forecast climate change have been programmed to “believe.”
The result is climate forecasts that are warming substantially faster than the atmosphere, says Dr. Roy Spencer, a principal research scientist in the Earth System Science Center at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.
The previously unexplained differences between model-based forecasts of rapid global warming and meteorological data showing a slower rate of warming have been the source of often contentious debate and controversy for more than two decades.
“The satellite observations suggest there is much more energy lost to space during and after warming than the climate models show,” Spencer said. “There is a huge discrepancy between the data and the forecasts that is especially big over the oceans.”
Get that? Climate forecasts are warming “substantially faster” than the actual atmosphere. This is a significant problem for modeling.
What does this add up to? Well for one thing, the evidence that there is a global scientific consensus that man is causing catastrophic climate change, and that we have accurately mapped, modeled, and predicted it, is incontrovertibly false. As I cataloged in my post last year, there are a number of discrepancies that are yet to be addressed. And as evidenced by Dr. Giaever’s resignation, there is clearly not a consensus, not that that should matter in the first place.
We should respect Dr. Giaever for the courage to continue to ask questions, to demand rigor, to insist upon research, and above all, to stand with courage of conviction. We must all do the same. The drastic socioeconomic sacrifices the Al Gore crowd would have us endure, and the devastating fallout those sacrifices would entail, require it. Inasmuch as the greenies would have us believe that we must act NOW lest we see dire consequences, we must remain cautious, as rash actions could result in even more devastating outcomes.
There is no consensus. The evidence is not incontrovertible. Of that much, and that much alone, can we be completely certain. | <urn:uuid:9b79e7d7-38a6-44c0-a57e-d0457ed0e1bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.redstate.com/absentee/2011/09/15/incontrovertible-i-do-not-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949448 | 1,010 | 1.71875 | 2 |
The Daily Star
---- — Gun-control hypocrites, gun-free zones and the children of regular Americans are vulnerable. The Sidwell Friends school in Washington, D.C., has 11 armed security guards. The Obamas chose to send their daughters to Sidwell.
These 11 armed guards are not Secret Service employees. They are school employees who have been there ages before Obama was elected president.
Elitists like NBC’s David Gregory have children who attend Sidwell. Deceivers against school vouchers for the less-fortunate, a pestiferous environment exists! Bulletproof backpacks for your children, armed security guards for their children! Politicizing school shootings; and “Fast and Furious” remains Obama’s bloodiest gun scandal.
Chinese parents were also horrified on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Twenty-two school children and an elderly woman were critically wounded in a knife attack at the Chenpeng Village Primary School.
Within 10 minutes, a man armed with a kitchen knife terrorized a Japanese elementary school in a stabbing spree that left eight schoolchildren dead and injured 21 other people.
There are more than 22,000 gun laws already on the books. Rapid-fire automatic weapons were banned in 1934. Semi-automatic guns fire one round at a time. Established case law holds that the police are neither obligated nor liable for failing to protect.
Victims have no recourse if the police fail to respond or fail to protect citizens from harm. Calling 911 is no substitute for a gun. More children drown each year in bathtubs and swimming pools than by gun violence. Should bathtubs and swimming pools be banned? Should schools remain gun-free zones, except Sidwell? | <urn:uuid:36ffafdb-c9bf-445f-8a2c-2df05aac8ea9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://thedailystar.com/letters/x1525006340/Protect-all-the-children-with-guns/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.955616 | 354 | 1.554688 | 2 |
“The best thing is that the CRF250L makes a first impression on the rider that ‘I can ride it anywhere!’” Explains Munehiro Sugimoto, Honda R&D’s Assistant Chief Engineer. “External design supplements function. If the CRF250L’s overall form evokes an image of something connected to its functions, that’s what we desire.” The design compartment commissioned this photo essay to show off its latest creation.
The photos themselves were snapped by Kohide Nakashima, who was shooting a motorcycle for the very first time. “In trying to think how to depict an image of an insect, I decided to approach the subject as close as I could,” she explains. “When we look at a small bug, we bring it close to our eyes to examine it up and down, right? To apply this perspective, I used a super wide-angle lens for this shot at a distance of about 20 cm. The image was so extremely distorted that it would not be accepted for a catalog. But I thought I could successfully bring out the allure of the CRF250L in my own way.”
“For an overall silhouette, I wanted to capture an image of the CRF250L in a dignified pose holding its ground” details Nakashima. “Because I wanted to reproduce a radiance that allowed us to feel the life in it, I set the lighting to get some backlight. I also illuminated the motorcycle from underneath with a fluorescent light to give the impression of the CRF250L itself glowing. The key for these shots was to draw near to the subject. Using a 14-mm, super wide-angle lens, I approached the subject to get as close as 20 cm.”
“The engine is one of the reasons why the CRF250L looked like an insect. I recalled the heart of Kyoshinhei (the God Warrior) in “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,” an animated film by Hayao Miyazaki, in the scene where his heart was going boom, boom when he came back to life. I felt as if all the parts of the CRF250L had been born from this naked engine.”
“I came up with this angle to create a red connecting image that was able to depict the body line emerging from the front fender. At a glance, it is difficult to make out what’s in the photo, but doesn’t this handlebar look powerful as it extends boldly forward?”
“The area around the headlight is akin to a face of a person, so I took this shot as I do for a portrait. Does the CRF250L carry an air that reminds you of certain characters in a sci-fi movie? In the all-around sharp design of the CRF250L, this section is kind of cute and emits a friendly feeling.”
“The combination of the delicate spoked wheels and geometric disc plate conjured up an image of insect wings. It looked so airy that I expected it to float in the air. From the instant I saw the CRF250L, I felt like shooting this wheel.” | <urn:uuid:56ed85ae-fc54-41ce-a659-803444a56203> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://rideapart.com/2013/01/honda-design-photographs-the-crf250l/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968045 | 684 | 1.5 | 2 |
Bird De Lis
Representing passion, loyalty and resilience, the Pelicans are uniquely New Orleans.
by Toney Blare / @BrianWBoyles
“At conclusion of the current campaign, the franchise is going to be changing our name to the New Orleans Pelicans.”
With those words, purred by play-by-play announcer Joel Meyers, a new name took flight. The team picked a fine time to herald change: Most of the civilized world is beginning to descend on New Orleans this weekend for the Super Bowl. To get to the arena this afternoon—11 days before the game—I passed through two checkpoints and dodged several production assistants busily moving equipment into the neighboring Superdome.
Inside the arena, the lights were dim on the court as media, team personnel, coach Monty Williams, GM Dell Demps, and players Ryan Anderson, Jason Smith and Greivis Vasquez took seats before a wide stage equipped with two large video screens. When Williams noticed the freshly scrubbed players, he noted audibly, “You smell better.”
After Meyer’s announcement, a brief video explained the logic and history behind the decision. When Louisiana first welcomed explorers, “Early officials saw how charitable the pelican was toward their young.” Later, the state flag reflected this impression, its central image a mother pelican feeding its young. “It is a hunter, protector, has speed, precision, and is as unique as the Gulf South region.”
In November 2009, the bird was removed from the state’s endangered species list. Five months later, the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill killed hundreds of them. The health of the bird and of the coastal wetlands will be an integral part of the franchise’s community efforts, with Ron Forman of the Audubon Nature Institute and Garret Graves, Executive Assistant to Gov. Bobby Jindal for Coastal Activities, on-hand to tout the partnership. A brief history of the Pelicans minor league baseball team, alive from the 1880s into the 1950s, gives additional emphasis to the name’s tie to New Orleans’ past.
When the video ended, two bursts of fireworks popped off in the rafters. Team President Dennis Lauscha explained the process that led to today’s announcement. “From the very beginning, Mr. Benson felt very strongly about changing the team’s logo and brand. In fact, he felt so strongly, the process of rebranding actually began before he bought the team.”
David Stern OK’d a shorter timeline, hundreds of names were discussed, and a design firm from Hattiesburg, MS, was hired to design the logo. “Passion, teamwork, resiliency, resourcefulness, loyalty, pride, precision, grace, family, dignity, grandeur and charity” are all words associated with the bird, Lauscha says.
The primary, secondary, and other logos were revealed and on first look, they were really good. The “bird de lis” is similar to the “fleur de bee” of the Hornets and works well. I’m not sold yet on red, blue and gold as a uniform scheme, but let’s see what they come up with. Blue represents the flag and liberty. “There’s another professional team with gold and it’s a bit of a nod to it.” Wink, Saints, wink. Red signifies one blood or union as well as the mother pelican pricking her breast to feed her young.
Forman from the Audubon Institute came next and told us about his part in the process. “Tom shared some stories, I remember fondly, the hurricane, the Superdome, are we going to stay, are we going to go? What can we do? Tom stood up and said, ‘I have a vision: The Saints are going to lead, not just in winning football games, but lead the rebuilding of the city.’” And here we are. “The PR we got out of becoming America’s team overcame the negative. We became the city alive again, and it became much more than a football team.” Forman thinks the Pelicans can do the same thing for the wetlands, “one of the biggest crises in our history right now.” The next steps will be education and PR. “[The Pelicans] are going to be the leaders to rebuilding our coast.”
He turned it over to Mayor Mitch Landrieu. The mayor is in the middle of a heavy few weeks of Super Bowl press but appeared in fine form. “Somebody that takes care of its young. Somebody that’s loving and caring but fierce. And then an entity that’s resilient. Now, there’s no better American character that Louisianians represent than resilience and coming back from near extinction.” He says he’s, “pumped up about the Pelicans.”
“The magic to this is that a Super Bowl is not an end in and of itself. Having a franchise on the football or the basketball side is not just an end of itself. It’s how you use it. The magic about the Bensons is they have used this as a means to make New Orleans and Louisiana a great place for all of us to live.” Then he welcomes the man he calls “the Papa Pelican, the Big Daddy of ‘Em All, Mr. Tom Benson.”
The Saints/Pelicans owner is now in his ’80s and moves slowly in a navy blue suit and tie, topped by a new blue Pelicans hat. “The New Orleans Saints means a great deal to this community, known throughout the world. Now with the New Orleans Pelicans, we’re gonna get it known throughout the world, too, huh?” He still speaks in the accent of his native 7th ward. With all these changes, he says to Monty Williams, “That means, Coach, we gotta get a helluva basketball game going.”
For one of the first times since Bountygate erupted, Benson mentions the scandal, at least a little. “I think we’re proud of our football team. We didn’t have the year we wanted this past year. But now we got back everybody on the job (Coach Sean Payton was reinstated yesterday). In fact, Payton was back in the office today. I didn’t think he and (Benson’s wife) Gayle would ever quit hugging, but it was alright. This is an exciting time.” He points to record season ticket sales and thanks the city and the state for their cooperation.
Meyers returns to close things out with a new cheer: “Let’s Go Pells.”
After the conference ended, I asked Mr. Graves from Gov. Jindal’s office about his hopes for the team’s impact on the wetlands.
“A lot of people think of the coastal restoration problem as very distant from the city of New Orleans, from the communities in Louisiana. Nothing could be further from the truth,” Graves said.
Hurricanes over the last 10 years show the dire consequences of a depleted coastline. “Having the Hornets change their name to the Pelicans is going to give us an amazing venue to educate people about how vital a healthy, restored coast is to the future of our state,” he said.
Monty Williams said there will always be an attachment to the Hornets. “My first head coaching job and hopefully I’ll be with this organization for a long time. There’ll be some sentimental value there. Going forward we have great ownership, we have a great foundation, we have great fans, and now we have a great name to go with it.” As long he has a team, Williams says, he’s not to worried about the name of it.
Rodney Richardson began at Nike in the team’s sports division in the NBA category. A native of Mississippi, he moved back from Portland in 1999 and began RARE Design. Past redesigns includes the Memphis Grizzlies and the NFL’s Houston Texas. (Look at that logo again and you can see the similarities.) For Richardson, though, this one was different.
“Brands are built around stories. Those stories of who we are and where we come from, those are the most impacting stories of all. And everything we would look at, yeah, there was fun, there was over-the-top aggressiveness [Other top contenders included Loup Garou, a legendary wolfman figure in French-Cajun folklore], but there was no question which name had the deepest roots and the deepest representation for this region. That always came back to the Pelicans.” He, too, mentions resilience and the first explorers.
“You can’t ignore those things. A lot of folks want you to follow trends. They want things they expect, they think all sports marks are supposed to be. This club said, ‘We don’t want to be what everybody wants us to be. We want to be uniquely New Orleans.”
Outside, a fleet of trailers hugs the loading dock of the Superdome. I pass the arena’s team store. Blue and gold jerseys, t-shirts emblazoned with bees and Hs, still fill the racks and walls.
A part of me already misses the Hornets, even if the team remains the same. They were sort of clumsy as a logo for this town, but who says things fit perfectly here? I’ll always remember Bonzi Wells calling me ‘playboy.’ He was a Hornet. So was Chris Paul, Birdman, Baron Davis, Bobby Phills, Muggsy Bogues, Grandmama, and boxing-ass Mike James. In New Orleans, we’re always bouncing between funerals and renewals. Maybe that reflex of mourning gets in your blood. I tried the door on the team store, but it was locked. | <urn:uuid:44b935b3-206f-40fe-89ff-c580c7315dd8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2013/01/new-orleans-pelicans-bird-de-lis/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965402 | 2,131 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Released: April 28, 2010
Pessimistic Public Doubts Effectiveness of Stimulus, TARP
Republicans Draw Even With Democrats on Most Issues
Section 1: The Parties and Obama
As the debate in Washington heats up over new regulations on financial markets, the public is divided evenly over whether the Republican Party or Democratic Party (36% each) can do a better job of dealing with banks and financial institutions. Another 28% offer no preference between the two. The parties are also even when it comes to dealing with the job situation – 36% see the GOP as stronger, 37% the Democratic Party. The last time this issue was tested in 2006, the Democrats held a wide 47% to 29% advantage on jobs.
Similarly, neither party has an advantage on two other key issues that may be addressed in Congress this year, immigration and energy. Currently, 36% say the GOP can do the better job on immigration, while 35% pick the Democratic Party.
The Democratic Party holds a slim edge (40% vs. 32%) when it comes to dealing with the nation’s energy problems, but its lead has narrowed substantially over the past two years. As recently as last August, 47% favored the Democrats and just 25% the Republicans on this issue.
Since last summer, there has been a sharp turnaround in the balance of public opinion with respect to foreign policy. In August 2009, 44% favored the Democratic Party on foreign policy and 31% the GOP. But today, the Republican Party holds a slim 39% to 34% edge in this issue area.
On each of these issues, the balance of opinion among independents generally mirrors the balance of opinion among the public at large, as Republican and Democratic views offset each other.
But the GOP’s edge among independents on both foreign policy and the budget deficit is significant because they are less likely to favor Democrats on these issues. The GOP holds a very small 38% to 35% edge overall on the deficit, but the margin is 38% to 25% among independents. Similarly, the GOP’s slim 39% to 34% overall lead on foreign policy becomes a 37% to 26% advantage when independents are analyzed separately. On both issues, independents are roughly twice as likely as partisans to volunteer that neither party will do a better job.
A Leaderless GOP
To most Americans, there continues to be no clear leader of the Republican Party. Only about three-in-ten (29%) can name someone who they think of as the leader of the GOP these days. Just over half (52%) say they don’t know, and 18% volunteer that “nobody” leads the party.
Among those offering a name, John McCain continues to be mentioned more frequently than any other Republican as the party’s leader, though only 8% of Americans cite him. Sarah Palin is named by 4%, Mitt Romney by 3%, and 2% of Americans name Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich as the Republican Party’s leader.
More than a third (36%) of Republicans name someone as the party’s leader, up from 28% in December. But even among Republicans, 46% say they don’t know and 17% say nobody leads the party. As with the public at large, McCain’s name comes up more frequently than any other (11%), followed by Mitt Romney (6%) and Sarah Palin (5%). Among conservative Republicans, Romney’s name comes up about as often as McCain’s (8% vs. 9%), with Palin (6%) and Gingrich (5%) not far behind. Just 2% of the public names Rush Limbaugh as the leader of the GOP; however, 8% of liberal Democrats say Limbaugh leads the party.
Obama’s Job Approval
Barack Obama’s overall job approval ratings have remained steady in recent months, with a slim plurality approving of his job performance (currently 47%), and nearly as many disapproving (42%). About eight-in-ten Democrats (79%) approve of Obama’s job performance, up slightly from a low of 74% shortly before the passage of health care reform legislation in March. Just 18% of Republicans approve of Obama – largely unchanged over the course of 2010. Independents are divided over Obama’s job performance: 46% disapprove while 41% approve.
Public reactions to Obama’s handling of major domestic policies have also remained fairly steady. On the key issues of the economy and health care, slim majorities disapprove (54% and 51%, respectively) with little change over the course of the year. Health care remains the single most polarizing issue – with 70% of Democrats approving of Obama’s job compared with 11% of Republicans.
Nearly half of Americans (47%) say they disapprove of Obama’s handling of the nation’s immigration policy, while just 29% approve. This is largely unchanged from January, when 50% disapproved and 30% approved. Obama’s low ratings on immigration reflect the fact that fewer than half of Democrats (45%) say they approve of his performance on the issue. Nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) offer no opinion on Obama’s handling of immigration.
Obama receives more positive (43%) than negative (34%) ratings on the issue of energy policy, with little change in the balance of opinion since January. As with immigration, many Americans (23%) have no opinion one way or the other.
There has been more fluctuation in public ratings of Obama’s handling of Afghanistan. Currently, about as many Americans approve (41%) as disapprove (42%) of how Obama is dealing with the situation in Afghanistan. The balance of opinion was much more positive (51% approve, 35% disapprove) a month ago. In November, prior to Obama’s announcement of his Afghanistan strategy, more Americans disapproved (49%) than approved (36%). As in previous months, Obama receives better marks from Republicans for his handling of Afghanistan (31% approve) than any other issue. The partisan gap on this issue is smaller than any other, as barely half (54%) of Democrats offer a positive assessment. | <urn:uuid:b9317e7f-4ed7-427c-acbe-0e85ab6458d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.people-press.org/2010/04/28/section-1-the-parties-and-obama/?setDevice=mobile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958827 | 1,268 | 1.8125 | 2 |
The CEE Bankwatch Network's mission is to prevent the environmentally and socially harmful impacts of international development finance, and to promote alternative solutions and public participation.
The CEE Bankwatch Network is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) with member organisations currently from 12 countries across the central and eastern European region. The aim of the network is to monitor the activities of the international financial institutions (IFIs) which operate in the region, and to propose constructive alternatives to their policies and projects in the region.
The CEE Bankwatch Network was formally set up in 1995 and has become one of the strongest networks of environmental NGOs in central and eastern Europe. Members of the CEE Bankwatch Network are NGOs from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Slovak Republic and Ukraine. Bankwatch focuses mainly on energy, transport and EU enlargement, while working at the same time to promote public participation and access to information about the activities of the IFIs across our region. Members of the CEE Bankwatch Network attend the annual meetings of the IFIs and are engaged in an ongoing critical dialogue with their staff and Executive Directors at the national, regional and international levels. | <urn:uuid:fceb4ab8-77e8-441d-8049-afba5ac5ca7e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.nonuclear.se/sv/taxonomy/term/28 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939337 | 249 | 1.648438 | 2 |
Located along the Monongahela River, Morgantown is a college and industrial town set in the mountains of northern West Virginia. Glass-making is one of the primary industries of Morgantown, with lamps, paperweights and crystal tableware some of the items produced. West Virginia University was founded here in 1867 and brings college town amenities, arts and sports to Morgantown. The city has been rated the Best Small City East of the Mississippi.
Take a stroll along Morgantown's main street to see historic buildings including the Metropolitan Theatre and the country's oldest standing stone building, the c. 1795 Old Stone House. Visit Appalachian Gallery for two floors of works by regional artists. The Downtown Wharf District has shops, restaurants and galleries. Guided tours along the Monongahela River are available. Also downtown is Seneca Center, an interesting grouping of shops and cafes located in the old Seneca Glass factory. Morgantown Glass Museum presents the history of the city's main industry.
West Virginia University is home to several museums, performances at the WVU Public Theatre and art exhibitions at the WVU Creative Arts Center. Monongalia Arts Center features exhibitions and theatre. For an easy way to get around campus or the downtown, take the Personal Rapid Transit System with 72 cars and five stations.
Outdoor recreation options include Coopers Rock State Forest with trout fishing, hunting, hiking trails to historic sites, cross-country ski trails and camping. Chestnut Ridge Regional Park has a swimming beach, fishing, camping and a nature center. Whitewater rafting is popular on the Cheat and Tygart rivers; several outfitters are located in Morgantown.
Dining options in Morgantown range from casual to fine dining. Caf‚ Bacchus offers "modern American cuisine with Italian, French and Asian influences". The Glasshouse Grille in Seneca Center, offers fresh American cuisine in a causal atmosphere.
Morgantown is located about 80 miles south of Pittsburgh, PA or about 160 miles northeast of Charleston, WV. From Charleston, take I-79 north. | <urn:uuid:eaebde6c-1d9c-43e5-8f7f-03e898ef468c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.go-westvirginia.com/Morgantown/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.94785 | 432 | 1.53125 | 2 |
Like the Poster "Dono" said, you can choose your own characters when you come to live in Japan and register as a temporary citizen. But, you need to be consistent in everything you register. If you register for one thing with a certain kana style, like a bank account, and then change your mind later and register for a credit card account with a different kana, they will NOT be able to link both names. So, you should think carefully and once you choose a combination, you need to stick with it forever (or else, you will face some nasty bureaucracy and problems). Also, you need to consider the easiness of typing that kana combination hundreds of times.
And like the poster above mentioned, there is indeed a strong precedent for ジョアン. I am Portuguese too, but my name is not Joao. You will not be able to transcribe the current Portuguese pronunciation of Joao successfully, I can guarantee that. If you move to Japan and follow this precedent, at least some more Japanese people will be able to remember and write your name, as opposed to you finding a more obscure combination of sounds. Even if you find it cute to create a more complicated combination of kana, this might work against you during your everyday life in Japan. So, once again, consider these things, and if you decide to go against the precedent, be consistent and stick with it until the end. | <urn:uuid:60689092-0247-4e06-9d23-afc54a473e43> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/6096/correct-kana-for-foreign-name/6098 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932545 | 292 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Town readies for high tech playground
SWANSBORO — Playtime in the Town of Swansboro is going high-tech.
An electronic play system will be one of the features of a new playground designed to be a unique attraction as well as offer challenging fun for area youth.
The NEOS 360 offers a variety of games for solo or team players. It is fun and fitness combined as youth race to hit the blinking lights.
“It targets that interest (in video games) to some extent but gets them outside and active,” said Mary Donnelly, vice chairwoman of the Parks and Recreation board.
The games combine skills such as speed, agility, hand-eye coordination and stamina and make the high-tech fun healthy as well.
“It’s not only high-tech; it also has that exercise feature to it,” added Parks and Recreation board member Gene Cole.
Nearly 20 proposals from seven different playground suppliers were reviewed by the board, and the town’s Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of the $70,000 playground at its September workshop meeting.
While the electronic play system is expected to be a popular feature, the playground will have more than two dozen play features planned. But gone are the days of the merry-go-round and monkey bars.
The playground will include a 19-foot-high web climber, vortex spinners, rock climbing walls, and “sky surfer” standing swings, a twist on surfing and skateboarding fun.
While playgrounds often meet the needs of younger children, the goal for the town’s latest playground was something for children ages 8 to 12.
“It will be something new, something challenging for the older kids,” Donnelly said.
The hope is that the originality and uniqueness of the park will attract families from the surrounding area as well as local residents.
“We wanted something other than the run-of-the-mill, and we were looking for it to be a destination for families,” she added.
The playground is part of major improvements planned for Municipal Park with the assistance of a $500,000 grant from the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.
The installation of the playground, to be supplied by Playworld Preferred, is expected to be completed by the end of November, the release said.
Other planned improvements at Municipal Park include a paved exercise trail, a skateboard area, a new concession and restroom building and a recreation center. | <urn:uuid:054e1ddc-40d9-434d-a5db-d90d734934f8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://playworldsystems.com/why_playworld/about_us/press/news/town_readies_for_high_tech_playground | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964791 | 523 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Bobby Fischer became a national hero when he defeated Boris Spassky in the 1972 World Chess Championship match but died in exile in 2008 after alienating many later in life with his anti-Semitism and reaction to 9/11. “Bobby Fischer Against the World,” a documentary having its premiere on HBO on Monday, surveys his journey from idol to pariah. Despite the drama of Mr. Fischer’s downfall, the filmmakers found the subject to be a tough sell until they got to HBO. “I must say that I didn’t realize how complex and fascinating he was,” said Sheila Nevins, head of documentaries for the cable channel. Read the full article here.
A new tradition at the Cannes Film Festival involves Harvey Weinstein previewing his slate for the year. Last year’s show included “Django Unchained,” “The Master” and “Silver Linings Playbook.” This year’s ranged from an auteur’s kung fu film to a biopic of Nelson Mandela.
Viewers upset with the Oscars telecast share the letters they've written to the Academy.
ArtsBeat is a Web site devoted to culture news and reviews, and to the work and interests of the reporters and critics of The Times’s culture department and the Book Review. Come here for breaking stories about the arts, coverage of live events, interviews with leading cultural figures, critical reviews, multimedia extravaganzas and much more. | <urn:uuid:81ddd59a-b306-4293-81dd-5f37cfca69ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/hbo-documentary-tracks-the-rise-and-fall-of-bobby-fischer/?ref=bobbyfischer | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698924319/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516100844-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941992 | 315 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Keats once said in a letter to Alfred Halsey that “Poetry is the art of being interested in nothing.” If that is true, what he said, then I am a true poet. Nothing interests me in particular, aside from what interests everyone; I’m not even interested in poetry itself. It is interested in me.
Huh? Well, that’s the gist of my thoughts here. The climate is so marvelous I just walk around all day and smoke all night. The natives have stopped noticing me, except when I screw up the language and say something incredible, like, “I’d like a boke,” instead of “ ” (fill in). Which reminds me of a letter I got from Burroughs, just before I left Tulsa. I had written to him, asking him for information about rage, such as where and how to get it, prepare it, etc. My letter to him was short and to the point. I really didn’t expect an answer. About 2 days before we left, his letter came. It said something like, “If you are as nice as you say you are, what you’re looking for will be of no use to you, since everybody experiences anger the moment their soppy heads come slurping through the quivering bodies of their mother.” Do you think he could have gotten my letter confused without someone else’s? | <urn:uuid:75933553-5f1d-4572-88e5-a33c8b240c0d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://poetsorg.tumblr.com/tagged/writing | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977255 | 301 | 1.515625 | 2 |
My Network, My Cause
By ALAN KRAUSS
Published: November 12, 2007
IN 2003, as Howard Dean's presidential bid surged, the Internet was hailed as a decisive new factor in electoral politics. In 2007, the explosive growth of online social networks seems poised to drive a similar upheaval in the world of philanthropy.
A flood of new ventures -- like Bill Clinton's MyCommitment.org and Dollars for Darfur, an initiative by two high-school students -- aim to use Web-based communities to raise money for charitable causes.
So far, the amounts raised online are relatively tiny. But they are increasing rapidly, paralleling the expansion of social networks themselves. The research firm Datamonitor estimates that by the end of this year sites like Facebook and MySpace will have more than 230 million members.
Until recently, philanthropic groups could accomplish little online beyond highlighting problems and trumpeting goals and programs, said Allison Fine, a senior fellow at Demos, a policy research group in New York, and the author of ''Momentum: Igniting Change in the Connected Age.''
''Web 1.0 was a broadcast phenomenon; the Clinton Global Initiative would have just told us what it was doing,'' Ms. Fine said. ''Now, in this new interactive world, it's a two-way conversation.''
MyCommitment.org, which was introduced in September, aims to forge connections among people who make commitments of time or money to political or social causes and want to encourage friends, online and off, to do the same.
''Giving is something that we can all do, but too often people don't know where or how to give,'' Mr. Clinton said by e-mail. ''MyCommitment.org is a portal that inspires people to give and makes it easy to do so.'' More than 750 people around the world responded in its first month.
''The commitments range from working with students to foster intercultural dialogue to an 8- and 6-year-old brother and sister team who have pledged to raise more than $200,000 to help blind children in India,'' Mr. Clinton said.
Dollars for Darfur began after Nick Anderson, a high-school senior in Mount Hermon, Mass., visited South Africa on a school trip last year and became interested in the humanitarian crisis. He and a classmate, Ana Slavin, decided to use the Web to raise awareness among other students and money for the cause.
''We were using these social networks every day,'' Mr. Anderson said. ''It was a big part of our lives. And we knew there were millions of other teenagers checking them two or three times a day, too.'' Their campaign, now part of the Save Darfur Coalition, an umbrella group of national religious organizations, raised $306,000 during the last school year.
Mr. Anderson, who is now a youth ambassador for Oxfam America, visited the Abu Shouk refugee camp in Darfur this summer. A second Dollars for Darfur drive, aiming to raise $375,000, is under way.
SaveDarfur.org is one of the top draws at the Causes on Facebook Project, added to Facebook, the social networking site, when it was opened to outside software developers in May. Causes allows Facebook users to set up Web pages to promote charitable or other activist goals. Perhaps more important, Causes pages can be used to solicit and keep track of donations.
In its first five months, Causes was downloaded by 6.3 million of Facebook's 51 million users, with another 75,000 or so registering daily, said Sean Parker, 27, who developed it.
While some 25,000 causes have been created and $600,000 raised, Mr. Parker said, his priority was to demonstrate the platform's potential. ''We want to help charities raise money,'' he said. ''But at this point we're focusing on making people realize the power of the tool.''
Mr. Parker, a founder of the early file-sharing service Napster, said sites like Causes offered philanthropists a new way to build momentum because they take social pressures into cyberspace. ''Your Facebook profile is seen by many more people every day than you are,'' he said.
Social networking also gives charities a chance to lessen their reliance on big donors, a trend that began 30 years ago. ''In that sort of world, young people are left out of the equation,'' Mr. Parker said. ''If you can engage them, you can engage a much larger population.''
Engagement is helped by the fact that people go online to get news and information, especially ''at times of crisis,'' said Susan P. Crawford, a visiting professor at the University of Michigan Law School and an expert on Internet law and technology. ''And just as people rush to the Web to get news about crises, they rush to the Web to help out.''
Ms. Crawford said that sites like Causes allow people to voice support, make a donation and encourage others to join in, all with a few clicks.
While agreeing that the Web offers a sense of immediacy ''that very few if any other fund-raising strategies provide,'' Timothy L. Seiler, director of the Fund Raising School at Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy, said it would be a mistake to assume that the Web has ''revolutionized'' philanthropy. Since the Web's early days, he added, ''what we've seen is that the reality has never matched what people perceived to be the potential.''
About a third of the nonprofit groups surveyed recently by the Center on Philanthropy reported success with Internet fund-raising, about double the rate in 2000. But 24 percent of those that received donations online said the average gift was under $10. A recent survey of 103 organizations by The Chronicle of Philanthropy also put the trend in perspective, suggesting that online gifts totaled less than 1 percent of donations.
Raising money online, meanwhile, raises sticky questions, especially for larger charities. ''Trust issues are still a big factor,'' said Michael Schreiber, chief technical officer at United Way of America, which this year expects to raise about $400 million (out of $4.1 billion) through various online channels but is undecided about whether to undertake a Facebook-style social networking initiative.
''You really have to understand how your donors will feel about it,'' Mr. Schreiber said, ''and how you are going to make sure that you're stewarding the information and transactions in a way that everybody is comfortable with. I don't believe the sector is there yet.''
Matthew Hale, an assistant professor at Seton Hall University who studies the interaction of the news media and the nonprofit sector, drew a parallel with another Web phenomenon. ''No one could touch Howard Dean online, yet he still lost,'' he said. ''This is an important trend, and one that is clearly going to continue to grow. But it is not going to wipe away the ways that philanthropy has happened for hundreds of years.''
Still, no one is denying that the Internet has provoked new thinking.
''It was really the teenagers across the country that did most of the work for us,'' said Mr. Anderson. ''People need a forum to get involved.''
PHOTOS: FACE TO FACE: Nick Anderson (far right) in Darfur, after he helped organize a Facebook page to raise money for victims of the crisis. (pg.H1); NET WORKERS: Using a page out of Facebook, above, Nick Anderson and Ana Slavin started a campaign to help Darfur refugees at camps like Abu Shouk, top. (pg.H35) (PHOTOGRAPHS BY SALEH MAJID/OXFAM AMERICA; NICK ANDERSON/OXFAM AMERICA; AND NANCY PALMIERI FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES) | <urn:uuid:41e18bcd-4878-47c9-81bc-e3e5579bbb10> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01E7DD1530F931A25752C1A9619C8B63 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950852 | 1,613 | 1.59375 | 2 |
A History of Utah Snowboarding
on February 2, 2009
Ride Utah's own Josh Scheuerman wrote a great article for the Sports Guide about the history of snowboarding in Utah. The role the Greatest Snow on Earth has played in the sport is undeniable. From Winterstick to the Rail Yard to the 2002 Olympics, Utah has been a part of the growth of the sport at every stage. It's a good read. | <urn:uuid:960d50c9-063a-4d75-ade2-12d6d3609f21> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.skiutah.com/winter/blog/authors/tim/a-history-of-utah-snowboarding | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951435 | 87 | 1.789063 | 2 |
The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) is taking a fresh, high-tech approach to training and concept of operations testing with its new virtual Combat Systems Center. The purpose of the activity is to evaluate virtual world technology for training, rapid prototyping, collaborative design activities, and war gaming. The system under development is a replicated “real world” submarine combat center where crews could be exercised remotely. New combat attack center designs and configurations can also be tested and evaluated before later stage construction activities. With the virtual Combat Systems Center, NUWC’s goal is to significantly reduce costs while increasing readiness and efficiency.
NUWC selected Qwaq Forums, secure virtual workplace technology, from Qwaq, Inc., as a candidate to provide a complete application collaboration environment that easily integrates all submarine combat center applications and data. The underlying technology of the virtual Combat Systems Center was demonstrated by NUWC last week at the Federal Consortium for Virtual Worlds Conference in Washington, D.C.
“The virtual Combat Systems Center has the potential to allow us to effectively train crew members around the world without having to transport them to our physical facilities,” said Steve Aguiar, Metaverse Exploration Project lead, at NUWC. “We now have the ability to replicate our submarine environments in high fidelity and provide virtual access to the applications and data the fleet requires. This means that our sailors and officers could always have access to all of the latest training and technical expertise no matter where they are located.”
Qwaq Forums was selected by NUWC because of its advanced application collaboration capabilities and the software’s ability to easily import 3D objects. With Qwaq Forums, crewmembers within the virtual Combat Systems Center can interact with applications and data just like they can when onboard an actual submarine, because the software is able to simultaneously run the applications that are available within a submarine combat center. NUWC will also test the reusability of its extensive set of mission training scenarios by using Qwaq Forums’ capability to easily integrate pre-existing live and simulated data sources. In addition, Qwaq Forums enabled NUWC to get up and running rapidly, because it was able to import and reuse existing 3D models of equipment and consoles, rather than having to re-create them.
“I am excited at the potential virtual worlds technology brings to changing the way we practice engineering,” said Douglas Maxwell, Metaverse Exploration Project technical lead at NUWC. “I see a viable future where ship designers, the Navy fleet, and scientists can meet in the same virtual space to collaboratively evaluate platform designs and enact changes in real time.”
“We are thrilled that Qwaq Forums is providing advanced training and testing technologies to the Navy,” said Greg Nuyens, CEO of Qwaq. “NUWC’s use of Qwaq Forums in its Combat Systems Center is another great example of how virtual application collaboration solutions can provide ‘real world’ training and testing that is efficient and cost-effective.” | <urn:uuid:d7f99139-7e5f-40b4-b9d6-040ba29f9c57> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.uius.com/2009/05/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.937421 | 638 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Judicial Law Clerk
Each judge of the Court of Appeals of Indiana employs up to three judicial law clerks; one is usually a senior law clerk with several years of experience. Clerks perform a variety of tasks, from conducting legal research to drafting memorandums, bench briefs, and case synopses. Court of Appeals clerkships are a rewarding way to participate in the life of the Court and to learn about and gain experience in appellate practice in Indiana.
Salary & Benefits. Starting salaries for judicial law clerks at the Court of Appeals are $56,375 plus benefits similar to all state employees.
Each Court of Appeals judge determines what tasks to assign to his or her law clerks. Law clerks are generally expected to do research, write memoranda, review draft opinions, and assist in preparing preliminary draft opinions.
Applications. All applicants must be a graduate of an accredited law school. Each Court of Appeals judge makes his/her own decisions on hiring law clerks. Some have specific application requirements, so please review the information below for each. Typically, applications for judicial clerkship include the following materials:
- A cover letter;
- A biographical resume;
- A transcript of grades achieved in law school, including, if available, information about class standing;
- A copy of any relevant scholarly writing;
- At least one letter of recommendation from a faculty member with whom the student has studied or a letter of recommendation from a clerkship committee, or both. Letters of recommendation may be sent separately from the letter of application; and
- A statement of when the applicant will be available for a personal interview in Indianapolis.
Applicants who wish to apply to any member of the Court may forward their application to the Court Administrator. | <urn:uuid:f87cdaab-bf52-4e92-86f9-5669de11e428> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.state.in.us/judiciary/appeals/2342.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943776 | 354 | 1.523438 | 2 |
FOR THE NEXT 30 MINUTES, YOU WILL BE ON
This is David Bay, Director of Old Paths Ministries.
And this is the Cutting Edge, a radio program dedicated to warning and informing God's people. We are committed to the study and exposition of the inerrant, inspired and authoritative Word of God. The views expressed belong to us, and are not necessarily shared by this station.
The moral bankruptcy of our society is well-documented. But, few people understand why we have become morally bankrupt. However, when we look at society through the Biblical eyes of God, we can easily see why we are facing the unprecedented troubles of today. This study of America through the eyes of God is what we will always try to do here; stay with us for some eye-opening truths.
We have stated many times on this radio program that the occultic plan was to reelect George Bush as President and to stage the appearance of Anti-Christ during his second term. Remember the occultic prophesy, communicated in 1492 to the leader of a Spanish secret society: "The leader who faces the obelisk shall introduce the world to the man who will introduce Anti-Christ". This prophecy was dealing with a political leader who would deliberately face a major obelisk at a critical time in world history. Occultists all over the world would then know that the successor to this political leader would be the one to introduce the world to Anti-Christ. Then, in the late 1700's, the guiding spirits of the occultic secret societies communicated that the new America would become the new Atlantis; in other words, the new America was destined to assume the leadership of the drive to institute the New World Order. From this time forward, occultists looked to American leadership, specifically the President, to fulfill this prophecy.
And the United States of America has the world's tallest and largest obelisk -- the Washington Monument. Every President from George Washington to Jimmy Carter took their oaths of office from the East side of the Capitol Building; however, on January 20, 1981, President Reagan insisted that the Inauguration Ceremony take place from the West side of the Capitol. A quick look at a map of Washington, D.C., shows that, when President Reagan addressed the crowd to give his Inaugural speech, he was facing that great obelisk, the Washington Monument. Occultists the world over clearly knew the significance. They knew that the occultic plan to produce Anti-Christ was nearing its completion; they knew that Reagan's successor was to be the President to be in power when Anti-Christ staged his appearance. President Reagan took his second oath of office from the traditional East side of the Capitol as did President Bush. The plan called for only one President to face the occultic obelisk.
However, as we have stated repeatedly, God's Plan is the one which will prevail, not Satan's. Even though the New World Order Plan called for George Bush's reelection, God's power prevailed to thwart Bush's second Administration. For reasons only God will know, He caused Bill Clinton to be elected as America's 42nd President. This undoubtedly caused much consternation among the occultists around the world. They were asking among themselves whether Clinton was willing and capable of carrying the torch of the New World Order. Clearly, Clinton had to signal to these powerful New World Order occultists that he would, indeed, carry forward the Plan to produce Anti-Christ. Clinton flashed two important signals designed to reassure:
One of the fundamental truths which I learned in the study of history in both high school and college was that, if people do not learn the facts of history, they will be doomed to repeat the mistakes of history. Since most people do not learn history from one generation to another, history does have a nasty habit of repeating itself. And history is repeating itself in America as we are on a parallel path with Germany in the 1920's-1930's, as that country progressed gradually into Nazism. Later historians would ask the question, "How could the country of Martin Luther become the country of Adolf Hitler"?
This very good question prompted the unparalleled study of history in the years following the conclusion of World War II. One of these studies was written by a renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Robert Jay Lifton, in his book, "The Nazi Doctors". Dr. Lifton systematically showed how the Nazi holocaust, which ultimately killed over 18 million people, actually began in the early 1920's, as doctors and nurses began to kill people under their care, people whom they felt no longer had "quality of life". Certain doctors and nurses were killing several types of people in their institutions:
Let us pause here for just a moment. We have devoted several radio programs on this subject of gradually changing the hearts and minds of people to a practice which we have always considered objectionable. We have named this process the "Six-Step Attitudinal Change Plan". Under Presidents Franklin Roosevelt to George Bush, American society has gradually been conditioned to accept many formerly objectionable practices as normal and healthy. In so many instances, the door to such objectionable practices has been opened either most of the way or just a crack. We have seen this action occur in many areas:
1. The Slaughtering of the Innocent Unborn
2. Euthanising People Who Want To Die Rather Than Face Life In Their Present Condition. So far, the people whom Dr. Kevorkian has killed have all requested to be killed. And other cases of euthanasia have occurred where the family has made the decision to kill their "loved" one. And no doubt, this will be the case for some years to come. However, the time will arrive when the decision to kill will pass from the individual to the family to the State. Dr. Lifton chronicles this exact progression in Germany prior to the point where Adolf Hitler assumed power. At this point, in 1933, Hitler stepped into the ongoing euthanasia process and committed Federal Government resources and manpower to the effort. Obviously, the number of people killed between 1933-1938 dramatically increased, and the stage was set for the Holocaust to begin.
We believe President Clinton may be the man who will also step into the ongoing process of euthanasia to commit Federal Government resources and manpower to the effort, and will begin to set the stage for the Bibically-prophesied worldwide Holocaust of the Great Tribulation. And Dr. Kevorkian, dubbed "Dr. Death" by some and "Jack the Dripper" by others, will have played a major role in conditioning Americans that Euthanasia is normal and healthy. At this point, Dr. Kevorkian has assisted 15 people to die, all with their consent. Dr. Kevorkian is preparing two actions which might have tremendous impact in furthering Euthanasia:
The fact of the matter is that these clinics, plus Planned Parenthood, will cease their reason for existence when the French abortion pill, RU-486, becomes widely available. Women will no longer need to go to an Abortion Clinic to get rid of their "unwanted tissue mass". They can simply achieve identical results by swallowing this little pill. And many doctors will lose millions of dollars of income. But, they will have nothing to fear if Dr. Kevorkian has his way -- these doctors will simply rename their clinics, will buy the necessary new machinery to kill adults, and will reopen as public Euthanasia Clinics.
As revolting as this scenario may sound to many of you, Dr. Kevorkian's action here is very much consistent with the plans of the New World Order to reduce the population of the world from its present 6 billion people to 2 billion by the year 2,000 A.D. To achieve this ambitious goal in just 7 more years obviously will require that the pace of killing be stepped up. The campaign for public acceptance of Euthanasia and its widespread use, is still in the stage of people making personal decisions to end their life. And the reasons being advanced are still medical, i.e., because said person is terminally ill and wants to end their suffering while they can still do so "with dignity". However, once public Euthanasia centers are set up and operating, who will argue when a person walks into the clinic demanding to be euthanised for nonmedical reasons, perhaps because he/she has just lost a loved one or because they have just lost their job? Immediately, an outcry would be heard that such a request must be granted. Then, America would be on a truly slippery slope to widespread killing.
And we have already seen instances where family members have made decisions to kill "loved ones".
We see these two paths occurring simultaneously. Thus, the stage would be set for the Federal Government to secretly step in to commit state resources to the Euthanasia effort, and later, to begin to decide who should be put to death and for what reason. This was the path in Germany leading to the Nazi Holocaust, and this is the approximate path which will be followed here. In this regard, watch Donna Shalala, President Clinton's new Director of Health and Human Services. This is one of those areas in which the door has been opened a little bit, and is now susceptible to being kicked completely open by direct Governmental action.
Another way to achieve the desired goal of a two-thirds reduction in world population in just 7 more years is to reduce conception. This course of action has been vigorously followed for the past 20 years, and is one of the major thrusts of Planned Parenthood. Contraception of all kinds is encouraged among America's teens in health clinics in our high schools. However, a new type of contraception to prevent conception is now under discussion; the debate over Norplant Implants. Norplant consists of six matchstick-size capsules that are surgically implanted in a person's arm. These capsules will slowly release a very low dosage of a synthetic hormone, levonorgestrel, the same hormone now found in several traditional birth control pills. Simply stated, Norplant means sterilization for as long as it is implanted within the body, and no one knows for sure that a woman who has had it in her body for five years will be able to conceive after it has been removed.
Norplant was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1990, and is "being touted as a cure, not only for teen pregnancy, but also for welfare dependency, child abuse, and drug-addicted mothers". (Newsweek, 2/15/93, "The Norplant Debate", p. 37). Did you understand the staggering significance of that last statement? Proponents of national birth control are admittingly targeting teen mothers that are at the bottom of the economic ladder, and that involves a lot of nonwhite folk. Newsweek quotes a black minister in Baltimore, Maryland, as complaining that this proposed Norplant program is nothing more than genocide aimed at the black population.
Before you scoff too loudly, let me remind you that the New World Order is strictly a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant world. Blacks, Orientals, and Hispanics need not apply. Any person who is not a liberal Protestant need not apply, either. And there is a Nazi parallel here, too. History records that, when German doctors were contemplating killing those people who were living "lives unworthy of life", they began the Euthanasia process by sterilization. Dr. Lifton captures this initial drove toward sterilization in Chapter 1 of his book, "The Nazi Doctors". He stated that, in Germany, sterilization contributed mightily to the process of mass murder.
German doctors targeted several groups of people for sterilization; those individuals who were suffering from "life unworthy of life". Some of these conditions were:
However, while these hereditary conditions were publicly given as the reasons for the sterilization procedures, Nazi leaders were indirectly linking the project to a "racial cleansing". Physician leaders consistently called for "racial cleansing" or "racial hygiene" to be carried out against anyone who was not of the "Nordic race".
Once this insidious program began, it took several ominous turns: 1. Nazis began to refer to the Jews as a "race" that was obviously not Nordic, thus setting the stage for their elimination. And make no mistake about the writings of the New Age; they, too, talk extensively about the "Aryan race", about cleansing, and about the Jews as an undesirable element. 2. Nazi officials began to apply political consideration to their determination as to who needed to receive sterilization. They began to declare anyone who spoke out against them in any way as being "feeble-minded", and thus "eligible" for sterilization. Beginning in the late 1970's, writings began to appear which stated that anyone who has not achieved the proper "level of consciousness" should be considered dead. This attitude clearly begins to set the stage where anyone who is not properly attuned to the New World Order could be targeted for destruction.
As we end this topic, we need to make one point very clear: The Nazis attributed both their sterilization and euthanasia campaigns to the need to "cleanse" their society; in other words, they reverse the meaning of terms. Their sterilization and their killing became the "healing" agents of the German state. Evil became good, and good became evil. You can clearly see the same logic being applied by Dr. Kevorkian and his supporters, and in the Norplant sterilization device. America is clearly far down the path toward the final genocide of the Great Tribulation Period. We are clearly the generation which will see these things.
The entire program of the New World Order is progressing according to a Satanic spiritual basis. Do not be deceived -- the leaders of the coming world system are practitioners of the ancient "Mysteries" religion dating back to the Satanism of Nimrod of Babylon. And the Bible clearly foretells that this is to be the case. In other words, the ancient occultism of 5,000 years ago is to come back full circle, and will be the religion of Anti-Christ. But, the Bible foretells that, until Anti-Christ destroys the False Religious leader part way through the Great Tribulation, the practice of the old Satanic religion will occur through the deception that it is really Christian.
And we see this coming true before our eyes in the activities of the Roman Catholic Church. We have reported on this phenomenon consistently through our previous programs and we would be happy to share with you these programs if you would like to receive them; however, the startling facts we wish to share with you today about Roman Catholicism comes from a very unlikely and invaluable source. Doc Marquee is a former Satanist who was also initiated into the Illuminati. But, God had an important plan for Marquee's life. In 1979, the Holy Spirit led Doc Marquee out of Satanism/Illuminism and into the glorious light of Salvation through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. Since his conversion, Marquee has been very active as an acknowledged expert in the occult. Marquee has given many seminars to police departments, training detectives to recognize signs in a crime scene which show that the perpetrators were occultic, and that, perhaps, the crime was committed as part of a Satanic ritual.
Doc Marquee has also written a book, which is being published by American Focus Publishing Company, entitled "Secrets of the Illuminati". While this topic has been explored before, no author has been able to bring a truly occultic angle to the discussion. In other words, Marquee looks at the plan to bring in the New World Order from the viewpoint of a former witch. In his book, Marquee includes a chapter entitled, "Is It Catholicism Or Witchcraft?" At the beginning of this chapter, Marquee makes a quite startling statement, "I must emphatically state that Catholicism and witchcraft are one and the same...there is no difference between witchcraft and Catholicism." Then, Marquee examines Catholicism and witchcraft from the vantage point of a former witch.
Marquee identifies several critically important areas in which the practice of Roman Catholicism and witchcraft are identical. We will first list these areas of commonalty and then comment specifically upon them. These common areas are:
Now, let us examine each of these areas of commonalty:
1. The altar in every Catholic church is prominently positioned at the front of the church. The "Mysteries of the Mass" are celebrated on and around the altar. In witchcraft, also, the altar is similarly used for three purposes:
The Roman Catholic altar also holds their tools of their magic, and they daily perform human sacrifice. Remember, we are looking at this subject through the eyes of a former high-level witch who is now a born-again Christian. This daily human sacrifice is performed according to the false belief in "transubstantiation", the belief that the priest magically transforms the wafer into Jesus' body and the wine into His blood. Marquee states, "In other words, every day Christ is being reincarnated and then sacrificed.. they perform daily their human sacrifice in which Christ is ...sacrificed for their sins." It is shocking to realize that the Roman Catholics are daily performing human sacrifice in a manner similar to that of witches throughout the centuries.
2. The Catholic Golden Goblet, or Chalice. "It is this cup that the wine poured into it becomes the...literal blood of Christ. When a witch does a human sacrifice, after the victim's throat is sliced open, the spilled blood will be collected in a chalice, just as the Catholics do, except the witch's chalice holds the real thing." In Satan's eyes, the Catholics are performing the same rite as the witches.
3. "Candles were introduced to the Catholic mass about 320 A.D. There is no Scriptural reasons for them, unless... you are a practicing witch. Below is a list of different colored candles a witch would use throughout the year. See if you can recall any of these colors used during a Catholic mass:
"Using these colored candles and the right spells, a witch can cause anything to happen...our Catholic friends are not only using these occult tools, they also pay for them when they go to various statues and light...candles."
4. "Incense is a constant tool that is used by priests. They will take a philter (incense burner), walk around the altar, and then wave it out toward the crowd with an invocation...Not only do witches use incense, but they will consecrate their altar and their fellow witches in the exact way the Catholics do..."
5. Bells are also utilized by both Roman Catholics and witches. The bells are actually baptized, and in both witchcraft and Catholicism, altar boys attend the priest in sounding the bells.
6. Witches were praying to images or statues for many centuries before Catholics began the practice.
7. "Until recently, most of the rites of witchcraft were said in Latin...why is it, when the witches stopped using Latin as much as they did, about twenty years ago, that the Catholic mass was stopped being told in Latin? Today, it is spoken mostly in American English, the same way in which a witch's mass is held."
8. "...when the Pope, Cardinals, or priests want to give a huge blessing, they will take out a golden scepter, or wand, dip it in holy water, and then wave it on the people...wands are nothing new in the occult. When a witch wants to direct his power he can do it by means of wands." He can also control the demonic forces at his disposal by using a wand to consecrate a circle with a pentacle inside. Holy water is also used by a witch to purify himself and his instruments, and the water is made holy in both witchcraft and Catholicism by mixing water with salt.
9. The teaching of Purgatory is not found in the Bible. According to Catholic catechism, Purgatory is described as "a logically deduced place. Since a Catholic could not go straight to heaven if he had sinned, and since he could not go to hell if he had not died in mortal sin, there had to be a place in between where he could be purified" -- Purgatory. However, the belief in Purgatory is "totally occultic in origin". Witchcraft teaches that after a person goes through Purgatory, he is reincarnated and is more powerful in his next life than he was before. After several reincarnations, he will become purified enough to live with the gods and goddesses, precisely the same end as the Catholics teach.
10. Both Catholics and Witches teach that the host becomes the actual body of their respective gods. To the Roman Catholic, the host becomes the actual body of Jesus Christ; the witch believes the host actually becomes the body of their pagan deity, "I.H.S. -- or Iris, Horus, and Semiramis". This concept is known in both circles as transsubstantiation.
11. Both witchcraft and Roman Catholicism teach that the universe is comprised of five elements: Spirit, Water, Air, Fire, and Earth. These occultic five elements are also found in the Catholic mass.
Doc Marquee's conclusion is inescapable and damning: The practice of occultism has come full circle from ancient Babylon to the Roman Catholic Church today. As Jesus counseled in Revelation 18:4, "Come out of her, my people, that you do not participate in her sins, neither in her plagues".
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Daniel Fisher, Forbes Staff
I cover finance, the law, and how the two interact.
A federal judge in Washington has issued an opinion in a case involving regulation of the milk industry that will resonate with opponents of Obamacare for its attack on the U.S. Supreme Court’s steady diminution of economic rights since the New Deal.
The sharply worded concurrence in a decision by the influential U.S. Court of Appeals D.C. Circuit, which was joined by the chief judge, reveals the deep misgivings some judges have for the hands-off approach the Supreme Court has taken toward economic rights since it acquiesced to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s laws regulating industry and labor in the 1930s. The debate over whether courts should assert more power to overturn laws that intrude on economic rights is at the center of the Supreme Court’s deliberations over the healthcare reform act.
In her opinion, Judge Janice Rogers Brown of the D.C. Circuit, a George W. Bush appointee, bemoans the fact she must uphold a federal law that targeted a single milk producer for punishment because of Supreme Court rulings that have “relegated economic liberty to a lower echelon of constitutional protection than personal or political liberty.”
America’s cowboy capitalism was long ago disarmed by a democratic process increasingly dominated by powerful groups with economic interests antithetical to competitors and consumers. And the courts, from which the victims of burdensome regulation sought protection, have been negotiating the terms of surrender since the 1930s.
Brown was joined in the fiery concurrence by Chief Judge David B. Sentelle, a Reagan appointee.
The law in question was passed in 2006 to fix a seeming loophole in federal regulations that were first passed in the 1930s to prop up milk prices. The law requires milk bottlers and distributors to pay fixed prices into a centralized “producer settlement fund,” which then pays dairies a single price per gallon for their milk regardless of whether it is sold as higher-cost milk or lower value cheese and butter.
Integrated operations with dairies and bottlers created “serious complications for the this system,” however, the court noted, since they didn’t have any opportunity to pay money into the centralized fund. Hein Hettinga, a Dutch immigrant, exploited this to build a highly successful independent dairy and distribution business in Arizona that sold milk to outlets in California like Costco for as much as 20 cents below regulated prices. That drew the wrath of competitors, who got a law through Congress in 2006 that targeted for regulation any producer-handler in the Arizona marketing area that sold in California — basically Hettinga.
He sued to overturn the law on a variety of constitutional grounds, including that violated his equal-protection rights and it was a bill of attainder singling his business out for legislative punishment. The D.C. Circuit upheld the law, however, citing a string of Supreme Court decisions going back to the 1930s that subject economic claims to a lower “rational basis” standard of review than laws that implicate civil rights like the right to vote.
Brown accepted the reasoning behind the decision but took it as an opportunity to list the parade of decisions she thinks created the opportunity for Hettinger’s competitors to do with federal law what they couldn’t accomplish in the free market.
The process began, Brown said, when the Supreme Court allowed state and local governments to regulate property under their general police powers and to “adopt whatever economic policy may reasonably be deemed to promote public welfare.” She cites Nebbia v. New York, a 1934 case upholding a New York law setting minimum milk prices. Then she tees off on U.S. v. Carolene Products, considered one of the most influential Supreme Court cases of the 20th century because of its famous Footnote 4 suggesting that courts should not strike down purely economic laws on discrimination grounds but they might take a closer look at laws that target “discrete and insular minorities.”
“Finally,” Brown writes, “the Court abdicated its constitutional duty to protect economic rights completely, acknowledging that the only recourse for aggrieved property owners lies in the `democratic process.’”
This standard is particularly troubling in light of the pessimistic view of human nature that animated the Framing of the Constitution—a worldview that the American polity and its political handmaidens have, unfortunately, shown to be largely justified.
Sounding the sort of opposition to government-granted favors that animated many of the men who debated the Constitution, Brown goes on to warn about the “political temptation to exploit the public appetite for other people’s money—either by buying consent with broad-based entitlements or selling subsidies, licensing restrictions, tariffs, or price fixing regimes to benefit narrow special interests.” Her ultimate target is rational basis, the court-created doctrine that says judges aren’t competent to determine whether economic regulations make sense. Unless a law is completely irrational — one struggles to think of an example, perhaps a law requiring everyone to buy two left shoes — rational basis suggests courts should leave them alone.
The hope of correction at the ballot box is purely illusory. …In an earlier century, H. L. Mencken offered a blunt assessment of that option: “[G]overnment is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.” And, as the Hettingas can attest, it’s no good hoping the process will heal itself. Civil society, “once it grows addicted to redistribution, changes its character and comes to require the state to ‘feed its habit.’” …The difficulty of assessing net benefits and burdens makes the idea of public choice oxymoronic. …Rational basis review means property is at the mercy of the pillagers. The constitutional guarantee of liberty deserves more respect — a lot more.
Brown, an Alabama native and daughter of a sharecropper, raised the hackles of some Democrats in her 2005 nomination hearings for her comparisons of liberal economic policies with slavery. “We no longer find slavery abhorrent,” she once told the Federalist Society, the New York Times reported at the time. “We embrace it.” She put herself through law school in California after she was widowed shortly following the birth of her son. She was once considered a contender for the Supreme Court, since the D.C. Circuit has served as a warmup box for Justices including Chief Justice John Roberts. | <urn:uuid:f58b054e-445d-4eb8-b182-09d1bd16f3ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2012/04/18/opinion-or-manifesto-judge-slams-high-courts-economic-surrender/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00020-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961306 | 1,372 | 1.617188 | 2 |
Termites are causing problems at the Marion County School District in central Florida.
The Ocala Star-Banner reports the district's employment services department had to be removed from its headquarters after a termite infestation was discovered.
Administrators have also discovered termites in the new band room at Howard Middle School. Officials believe the termites might be coming from wood somewhere outside.
The new facility is still under warranty.
Officials hope the school district employment services department repairs will be completed by the end of the county's spring break. | <urn:uuid:d08e66ea-6c4b-4777-aa73-f8c410a354bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Termites-infest-two-Marion-County-school-buildings/-/1637132/19263404/-/dgiuwuz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963435 | 110 | 1.5625 | 2 |
March 4, 2009 > Community Forum focuses on youth violence
Community Forum focuses on youth violence
Submitted By Nina Moore
Youth experience and all too often participate in violence from early in life into adulthood. It comes in many forms and has deep impacts on development. A Tri-Cities group is seeking to change that.
"Our Community: Addressing Youth Violence" is a free community forum that will be held on Thursday, March 19, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m., in the American High School auditorium, 36300 Fremont Blvd., Fremont. The organizers hope to gather a cross-section of the Tri-Cities and empower participants to work inclusively-across social, ethnic, religious, and political divisions-to address youth violence.
"We want to change the reality of youth violence," Raj Salwan said. Salwan is a member of the Fremont Human Relations Commissions, the primary sponsor of the event.
The forum will focus on three aspects of youth violence: bullying and peer pressure, dating violence, and gangs. The evening will begin with brief presentations on these aspects of youth violence-how prevalent these types of youth violence are and what the impact of these types of youth violence is on our children and our wider community.
The presentations will be followed by some questions from the audience for the presenters, and then a time to get organized (and share some food).
"Our Community: Addressing Youth Violence" is the third in a series of community forums seeking to empower community members to make Fremont and the Tri-Cities more welcoming and inclusive of all people.
The first forum, "Our Community-Who Belongs?" was held in 2005. It was aimed specifically at the pressures and dangers faced by Muslims and Sikhs in the Tri-City Area in the wake of the terror attacks on the US on 9/11/2001 and the ongoing war in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The second forum, "Our Community-We All Belong," was held in 2007. It sought to show community solidarity against hateful speech and acts; to foster a really inclusive, protective community; and to provide a practical means for people to bring this message back to their homes, schools, faith communities, and social service organizations.
Our Community - Addressing Youth Violence
Thursday, March 19
7 p.m. - 9 p.m.
American High School auditorium
36300 Fremont Blvd., Fremont | <urn:uuid:65db07c3-d376-4e6d-a44d-dc6983a0ddf5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tricityvoice.com/articlefiledisplay.php?issue=2009-03-04&file=Youth+Violence+forum.txt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.946997 | 504 | 1.835938 | 2 |
College Admissions: 4 Ways to Avoid Application Rejection
Monday, November 28, 2011
Your SAT I, SAT II Subject Tests or ACT scores must also be sent directly from the reporting agency to colleges (unless you are applying to a test optional institution). It does not matter if you reported your scores on your application or if your school prints them on your transcript. The only scores that colleges will accept come directly from the Collegeboard www.collegeboard.com for the SATs, or www.act.org for the ACT. Colleges have been in a transition period the last year or two, as reporting agencies began sending scores over the internet in batch files. However, many colleges are not equipped to receive scores electronically and still depend on paper reports. This year, there have been an unusually high number of issues with missing SAT scores during early admission. So, be sure to request your scores 2 weeks before your deadlines whenever possible.
Your payment must be received in order for your application to be processed. Most colleges allow you to do this via credit card on the payment tab of the Common Application or on their website. Checks are also accepted, but make certain that you put your social security number on the check and send it directly to the admissions office. For students who are submitting a fee waiver, it’s a good idea to call the admissions office and ensure that the required information for a waiver was received and that your request was accepted.
Most colleges and universities have a supplement to the Common Application which includes personal information, your desired major, and in some cases, essays. This part of the application can be a deal breaker. Colleges may wait for late SAT scores or payments, but if your supplement is not transmitted by the deadline, your application is likely to be rejected. Also, keep in mind that supplemental essays can play a significant role in the decision process. Colleges want to know why you selected them and that you have done your homework concerning their unique attributes. So, don’t rush through the supplements. Make them count!
Cristiana Quinn, M.Ed. is the founder of College Admission Advisors, LLC which provides strategic, individual counseling for college-bound students. www.collegeadvisorsonline.com
For more college coverage, don't miss GoLocalTV, fresh every day at 4pm and on demand 24/7, here.
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- College Admissions: 5 Fixes for Low SATs
- College Admissions: 5 Majors You Should Know Before Applying | <urn:uuid:d7804e42-efa4-452c-8a7e-f3e00ea6ff03> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.golocalprov.com/lifestyle/college-admissions-4-ways-to-avoid-application-rejection/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951299 | 575 | 1.671875 | 2 |
If you are an ophthalmology professional, it is important to keep your coding knowledge up to date! Whether you are a physician, coding/billing staff, office manager, administrator, consultant, ophthalmic medical personnel, or para-professional, taking the Ophthalmic Coding Specialist (OCS) Exam will benefit you. Here are a few frequently asked questions that we can help answer.
What is the OCS exam?
The American Academy of Ophthalmic Executives (AAOE), the practice management arm of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO) are partners in offering the Ophthalmic Coding Specialist (OCS) Exam.
The OCS Exam is designed to test the coding knowledge of professionals in ophthalmology. This open-book exam includes questions on 19 content areas including anatomy and physiology, optical dispensing, neuro-ophthalmology, E&M and eye codes. Each area is represented in the 100 question exam. (A full list of tested content areas can be found on the AAO site.)
After completing the test, you will receive feedback to help improve your coding and documentation abilities. Those who attain a passing score of 80 percent or higher on this exam will be awarded the OCS Certificate of Completion.
Why should I get or renew my OCS Certification?
- To be rest assured that your coding knowledge is updated with the constantly changing codes, especially for those who are due to renew their certification.
- Receive national professional recognition for your expertise and proficiency which also improves your professional image.
- Enhance the success of your practice. Mastering coding and staying in compliance makes sure that you receive proper reimbursement and increases the financial performance of your practice.
- Improve your career qualifications. If you do not own a practice, demonstrating mastery of coding can make you more competitive in the job market.
- Increase the efficiency of your practice. With proficient coding knowledge, you will be able to quickly identify what clearinghouses look for in coding claims, submit them accurately and reduce the number of rejected claims.
Where can I take the OCS exam?
The exam costs $175 but it is a great investment. It must be taken online, on the JCAHPO's ACTIONED website. You are allowed to complete the exam in more than one session where your answers will be saved from one session to the next. However, you must complete the exam within 10 days from the date of purchase.
Upon submitting your exam, you will receive a Pass or Fail grade immediately. Regardless of your score, you will receive a performance breakdown indicating which content areas with one or more incorrect answers. If you pass the exam your Certificate of Completion will be sent to you within two to six weeks.
How should I prepare for the exam?
We hope that you are convinced about the importance of getting your OCS certification. The process is easy and benefits are abundant!
And don’t forget to pair your coding knowledge with VisionWeb’s electronic claims processing services. Benefits include decreasing time on the phone with payers, reducing redundancies of duplicate data entry, and further ensuring the proper coding claims (but you probably already got it right the first time thanks to the OCS exam!)
Head to AAO’s website for more details and to get started on the OCS exam!
Want to stay up to date on the latest coding resources? Subscribe to the VisionWeb Blog!
Certification, shmertification, right? In today’s day and age, there seems to be a certification for just about everything. From personal trainers, to chefs, to hairstylists, to professional zombie hunters, there seems to be a certification for just about anything and anyone. So how does this apply to you and your eyecare practice? With all these certifications, does that make them at all important? We did some research and found that certifications are very important in the eyecare industry, especially for your Paraoptometrics.
Paraoptometrics are a huge part of any eyecare practice, extending the capabilities of the optometrist by assuming routine and technical aspects of services in your practice. Not only do they serve as an important partner to the optometrists, they also play a vital role in office-patient relationships. Because they do play such a vital role in your practice, it is important and necessary for them to be knowledgeable and communicate this knowledge with your patients. Certification allows for a well-trained personnel, which is invaluable to the optometrists, and also provides great satisfaction for the patients and the staff, which benefits your eyecare practice as a whole.
First off, What is the Paraoptometric Certification?
The Certified Paraoptometric (CPO) examination is a test that consists of 100 multiple choice questions focusing on basic science, clinical principles and procedures, professional issues, and ophthalmic optics and dispensing. Receiving the certification provides a formal declaration of education and skill achievement in the profession of paraoptometry, allowing for a more knowledgeable and competent staff.
Here are just a few reasons why we think you should invest in Paraoptometric Certification:
1. Certified Staff allows you to make the most efficient use of office time
You know how much we love efficiency at VisionWeb, so this is one of our favorite reasons why you should invest in Paraoptometric Certification. By investing in certification, you are assured that your staff has the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the various tasks in your practice. More knowledge and skills mean more efficiency, allowing your practice to operate at a higher level.
2. Certification can enhance your professional image
Let’s face it, seeing a professional certification hanging on the wall in any business immediately screams “professional”, “knowledgeable”, and “legit”. When paraoptometrics receive certification, this reinforces your professional image, leading to more patient satisfaction as well as more possible referrals. Certification also announces your professional credentials to the public, allowing you to stand out in the industry. Knowledge is money, and your patients will love seeing that your staff is knowledgeable and certified!
3. Enhance Patient Satisfaction and Confidence
Having a well-trained and educated staff builds an office-patient relationship that is not only invaluable to the optometrist, but also provides great satisfaction to the patients. When your patients can feel confident in the level of knowledge held by the optometrist, as well as the paraoptometrics, the patients are sure to be more confident and satisfied in their overall experience at your practice.
4. Allows for a sense of pride in your practice
Displaying certifications throughout your practice will not only lead to more patient confidence and satisfaction, but it will also instill a sense of self-assurance and pride in your staff. This pride and knowledge is sure to be communicated to your patients, increasing their overall satisfaction. Recognizing the level of career knowledge and skill of your staff is an invaluable way to instill pride in your practice.
Paraoptometric Certification Resources
With all of the reasons why Paraoptometric Certification is a great investment, why not take the next steps towards providing your employees with the opportunity to become certified!? The certification process is very simple. First, head over to the American Optometric Association website to access more information about the certification process and the exam itself. In addition to an overview, check out the study resources the AOA has put together to make preparation for the exam as easy as 1, 2, 3. When you are ready to sign up, simply fill out an application and schedule a test date!
We want to hear from you! Have you or anyone in your eye care practice become certified? Why did you decide to invest in the certification?
VisionWeb recently attended International Vision Expo East in New York and while we were there we held free in-booth presentations covering the techniques that set a modern practice apart from those who continue to use outdated processes. The presentations covered everything from electronic eyecare product ordering and insurance claim filing to social media and other modern marketing tactics. It really covers it all - even how to get the most from your eyecare practice management software.
We work with busy practices every day and really know how technology can impact a practice in a positive way. The first step to becoming a modern practice is identifying the inefficient and outdated process in your practice. And that's exactly what we do in our "Are Your Running A Modern Eyecare Practice" presentation. So if you weren’t able to join us at Vision Expo East, watch the video of the presentation below! You'll learn how to identify an outdated process in just 15 minutes! After watching the presentation, you'll should have some great ideas to implement in your practice that will help boost efficiency and make your practice as productive as ever.
Modernize your eyecare practice! Check out VisionWeb's integrations!
Ever heard of OpticianWorks? In case you haven't, OpticianWorks is an online training program created by John Seegers. His resourceful website is for people who aspire to have a career as either a licensed optician or a non-licensed optical dispenser. Seegers' passion for optical education comes from many years as an optical professional himself. He is a great thought leader in the eyecare industry and fulfills his need of passing on knowledge through OpticianWorks, by providing opticians and their staff eyecare product resources, including textbook and video lessons to both aspiring and current opticians. The most exciting part of OpticianWorks – this high quality online training is absolutely FREE!
What’s included in John Seegers’ complete online education program?
- Lessons tailored to each ‘need-to-know’ optician category
- Study and review time for each lesson
- Online tests
- Video Tutorials
- Resources through outside website links
- Independent study time for other materials
- A visit to an optical lab and shop
To complete this online education program you would need to set aside about 96 hours and have the ability to apply yourself and study! This may seem like a lot of time and effort to some, but as Seeger mentions “if becoming an optician was quick and easy and anyone could do it then you would not earn a living by being one!” As mentioned before, you can also become a member of OpticianWorks and utilize these online lessons to brush-up on your optical dispensing skills!
OpticianWorks also offers consulting, concentrating in creating custom-designed technical writing products to support the various end customers in the optical industry, tailored to meet your individual needs. Consulting avenues vary, including staff progress reporting and individual product placement. John's diverse experience has given him the ability to develop easily-affordable packages that are just right for each individual case.
As I mentioned, joining OpticianWorks is completely free, so even if you're just curious as to how resourceful this website can be for you, I encourage you to become a member and try out just one tutorial that could potentially benefit your eyecare practice - you've got nothing to lose! To give you a better idea of some fo the resources OpticianWorks provides, here's a breif tutorial video that describes the concept of Axis:
There are countless ways that technology can help an Eye Care Practice run more efficiently. Taking a modern approach to your Practice will not only improve your daily business processes, but will also help keep everyone in your practice on the same page.
At VisionWeb, we work with busy practices every day and we know a modern practice when we see one. We want to help you identify outdated processes, and show you some of the things that set modern practices apart; both in the ways they get work done with things such as eyecare practice management software and optical claims management, and the ways they are engaging their patients through social media in eyecare.
Join us at Vision Expo East and we'll discuss with you how to run a modern practice.
Our team will be onsite at Vision Expo East hosting these free presentations in the VisionWeb booth, #MS7061.
|Presentation Schedule: Are You Running a Modern Practice?
||Friday, March 23
Saturday, March 24
|Sunday, March 25
Each session lasts 30 minutes and all attendees who RSVP will receive a $5 Starbucks gift card. Get information you can use, and enjoy a coffee on us!
Space is limited, so RSVP to reserve your seat today!
When it comes to driving customers to businesses, nothing has been more popular, or trendy, than the social buying site Groupon.
By collaborating with local businesses, Groupon is able to offer consumers deals that take off 50% (at least) of the normal retail price of the product or service being offered. For obvious cost saving reasons, consumers have jumped on the Groupon bandwagon and made the company wildly successful ($750 Million Initial Public Offering). By creating a new market, Groupon quickly found itself surrounded by competitor spin-off companies offering similar services. There's even an Eye Care Industry specific site, Eyedeal.ly, that offers group buying for eye care providers.
Business owners have rejoiced because these extremely deep discount opportunities attract a lot of new customers, which owners are betting on turning into repeat business at a full price. But, is that a good bet to be making? Like all things, it seems to have pros and cons that are worth exploring.
Why It's Good:
1. It Drives Sales - Across all deals and locations in April2011, the average Groupon drove 350 sales and $8,750 in revenue
2. Exposure - With a membership base of 70+ million, Groupon gives your business the opportunity to reach your target market - wherever they might be.
3. New Customers are Guaranteed - Since a minimum number of people must buy for the offer to be valid, Groupon guarantees paying customers. And since the deals, on average, discount 57% of your product, you're bound to have new customers!
Why It's Bad:
1. It Destroys Market Profitability - Once consumers become accustomed to paying 50% less for certain products, it's difficult to get them to pay full-price again. If you and your competitors use Groupon within your industry too much, you could be degrading the overall profitability of your market.
2. It Affects Service and Customer Satisfaction Levels - By selling your product over and over again for only 25% of your normal revenue could eventually eat into your profitability, which can cause companies to hire less expensive people, reduce staff, start offering less product or service for the same price, or start raising prices on their regular customers. All of which will ultimately affect your customers level of satisfaction.
3. It Destroys Customer Loyalty - It's almost impossible to build customer relationships based on pricing. If customers buy your products based on price, they will go wherever the best price is. It's that simple. They use the business while they have a coupon and move on to the next one as soon as they have another coupon. This is why business owners count on Groupon buyers to buy additional service at full price while redeeming their coupon, but studies show that only 13% of buyers add a product at full price.
So what do you think? Have you used Groupon for eyecare practice marketing? Was it good or bad for business? What advice would you give others who are thinking about running a promotion?
Like what you see? Subscribe to the VisionWeb Blog! | <urn:uuid:7dff244f-f099-487f-86ed-a610c1580e3f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.visionweb.com/visionweb-blog/?Tag=Education&Preview=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699273641/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516101433-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947505 | 3,237 | 1.5 | 2 |
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Computerworld Australia - Fostering a collaborative environment while delivering social media and SEO solutions through open source platforms has been vital to the success of Brisbane based company, Reading Room.
Reading Room's director, Sarah Vick, spoke to Computerworld Australia about the company's success, saying the decision to expand operations from the UK into Brisbane was an easy one to make.
"Because lots of people are working in growing businesses, and because the city is a very friendly place to be, it has been really easy to network and meet like-minded people," she said. "Brisbane is developing a worldwide reputation for its focus on innovation and technology and it's a really exciting time to be here."
With collaborative technology cutting travel expenses at the National Australia Bank, Vick said Reading Room had recently undertaken a joint project with the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
"In conjunction with a team of students undertaking a Masters of IT at QUT, we have just completed the research phase of a project to analyse and recommend solutions for effective internal social networking," she said.
"We have been so impressed with the results of the research that we are continuing with the project into a second implementation phase where the students work closely with us to trial and evaluate their proposed systems into our work processes."
Reading Room's client base includes Queensland Rail, Queensland Museum and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet Office, and while some IT managers are grabbling with the issue of whether or not to block social media sites in the workplace, Vick said that trusting her staff to use social media in a responsible way has been key because collaborative technologies are vital in today's digital workplace.
"Early adoption of social media in the workplace is one of the ways the company stays true to its values, allows staff to collaborate creatively on projects and shares knowledge across three time zones," she said. "We put together the best teams with the most relevant skills to work on projects, regardless of where individuals are, and that means using social and collaborative technologies is essential."
The Queensland Museum worked with Reading Room to turn its website into an online museum and as a result, created a new presence online.
"Their new digital presence not only opens a gateway to hundreds of thousands of specimens, but it also opens up exciting opportunities for immersive user journeys and connects with social networks," she said.
While Vick said Reading Room sees itself as a digital communications agency rather than an IT company, the continued use of open source software and the use of HTML 5 is the next priority on Vick's IT agenda. "We're doing some exciting new projects with HTML 5," she said. "...obviously mobile technologies and apps are becoming increasingly important to our clients." | <urn:uuid:d1b96f31-c2c5-4111-994e-db95eb372d27> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/112410-company-uses-collaboration-open-source.html?hpg1=bn | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963909 | 587 | 1.507813 | 2 |
Food Stamp battle now moves to the House after Senate cuts
The battle this summer to renew a trillion-dollar farm bill to cover the next decade of spending is expected to divide the House along party lines as Democrats fight to continue funding 43 million Americans on food stamps while Republicans insist on reforms to reduce spending.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the nation’s largest federal welfare programs, second only to Medicaid, with an estimated cost of $800 billion over the next 10 years.
But House Republicans have already shown their willingness to cut even farther when they passed the budget earlier this year, approving cuts of $13 billion a year in food stamps.
The Senate finished its work on the massive farm bill June 21 on a final vote of 64-35 that included a cut of $4.5 billion in the food stamp program.
Democrats and a handful of Republicans beat back efforts by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to prohibit states from waiving eligibility requirements and to eliminate bonuses to states that he says deliberately swells the rolls. Sessions said in a statement his legislation would have saved $11 billion over 10 years.
“It is stunning that the Democrat majority—at a time when we are borrowing 40 cents of every dollar we spend—would object to providing even this small degree of financial accountability,” Sessions said. “Those administering the program seem determined to place the largest number of people possible on welfare support. Is not a better goal to see how many Americans we can help achieve financial independence?”
The number of Americans on food stamps has quadrupled since 2001 when more than 17 million collected the benefits, and is now received by nearly 45 million people. In 2003 the food stamp program consumed 64 percent of the entire farm bill, this year it is expected to total nearly 80 percent.
Additionally, there are 17 nutrition programs that overlap with nearly 60 federal welfare programs.
Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said he expects his panel to pass the House version out of his committee after the July 4th recess, and expects the House version to differ with what the Senate passed, including $14 billion in food stamp cuts.
“Although there will be differences between the Senate approach and our own, I hope my colleagues are encouraged by this success when we meet on the 11th to consider our own legislation,” Lucas said. “The House Agriculture Committee will consider a balanced proposal that saves taxpayers billions of dollars, recognizes the diversity of American agriculture, respects the risks producers face, and preserves the tools necessary for food production.”
The Senate achieved some savings in food stamp costs by banning lottery winners from the program. And, a Democratic amendment authored by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) that would have overturned the food stamp cuts was defeated 33 yeas to 66 nays.
House Republicans are expected to target fraud and abuse in the program, which costs taxpayers an estimated $750 million a year. That’s according to the Agriculture Department, which says there is fraud in about one percent of the total funds allocated. Overall, Republicans hope to cut a total of $33 billion from the farm bill over the next decade.
An effort by Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) to prohibit assistance to North Korea under the Food for Peace Act was rejected on a 43-56 vote.
An amendment by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) also failed on a 45-54 vote to amend the National Labor Relations Act to permit employers to pay higher wages to their employees.
An amendment by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was soundly defeated on a 15-84 vote to exclude farm benefits to those making a yearly gross income of $250,000. | <urn:uuid:2c59bc8a-133b-4108-881c-64505809c33b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.humanevents.com/2012/07/05/food-stamp-battle-now-moves-to-the-house-after-senate-cuts/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.96327 | 780 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Ray Gilleland's life
on the early roads of Australia
A group of humorous stories
from that time in his life.
I was born October 28, 1931,
and spent my childhood growing up at Botany Bay,
where Captain Cook first landed in Australia in 1770.
They were the years of the great depression, and then it was World War 2
when the motor vehicle was displacing the horse and buggy era. It was a
changing and exciting time.
Myself along with others of this generation were becoming aware that
distance was not measured by the local neighbourhood anymore, and when
my father asked what I wanted to do, I answered "Chase the horizon". And
that's what I did for the next 30 years.
with ex army K5 Internationals, Austins and Bedfords in the late 1940's
I learnt to drive, and improvise repairs to keep them going. From there
I moved on to an R7 Commer with 32 foot semi trailer delivering roof
tiles, which was then turned into the first gooseneck, double deck car
carrier, in Australia to deliver new cars between Sydney and Melbourne,
a 1000 mile trip.
After a couple of years of doing that, I turned to general freight.
This was the time when the government railways had the monopoly of all
freight delivered over 50 miles. I joined the others in the fight
against that monopoly and unjust taxes over the years, with many court
cases. Many went broke, some went to jail and some like myself were on
the "Most Wanted List", but victory finally won free trade between the
states. It was an exciting time, and was often referred to as "The Great
The roads between the capital cities on the East coast still had gravel
sections and were based on the original Cobb and Co. stage coach routes
between country towns. So if a driver kept zigzagging along these old
routes from town to town he would eventually reach his destination in
There was one frontier left and that was the 3000 miles across Australia
from the East coast to the West coast including the 1000 miles of
uninhabited dirt track across the dreaded Nullarbor Plain to Perth the
most isolated Capital city in the world. I was one of the pioneers to
tackle this in the 1950's.
After breaking down on one trip in the middle of the 90 mile straight,
and taking 3 months to do the trip, my mates had laughingly decided that
I had become a land owner out there with my Stetson, cowboy boots, and a
.45 pistol, hence the name "The Nullarbor Kid." It has stuck to me ever
In the early 1960's I tried something new, driving two up on a shuttle
run between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, With Kenworths powered by V8
I then moved to the subtropics and founded
Surfers Paradise Removals and Storage, occasionally doing a trip
just to keep my hand in.
1996 I retired, then, in 2000 at 70 years of age I delivered cars
around the United States for a bit of excitement. During that time I
started to write my Autobiography "My Way on the Highway".
2001 I began putting it together, and finally it was published, and released at the Brisbane Truck show 2005.
am presently working on a second book of true stories from my early
days and am hoping to have it available in 2008. | <urn:uuid:78570dc2-fcd0-4de7-a462-4a7cc6d9a879> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thedieselgypsy.com/Ray%20Gilleland.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982208 | 727 | 1.734375 | 2 |
Thanks to Frank Moan, S.J., for his reflections on prayer (“Finally, God’s Voice,” 2/9). It takes courage to punch through the veneers of doctrine and dogma and arrive at a place and time that is infused with God. Moan speaks to the sterility of words that can so easily bind us up and lock us in. Fortunately for him, belated grace has morphed into amazing grace. Well done!
Olympia, Wash.Smoke Signals
Humility is a good thing, and the article in your 100th Anniversary issue by James T. Keane, S.J. (“Oops!” 4/13) detailing some of the errors in judgment made in America’s past gave me a whole new view of your magazine.
The photo of suffragettes marching in 1912 also lifted my spirits. The daughters and granddaughters of those women have also marched for women’s issues in the recent past and have accomplished much to advance women’s rights. We are not the delicate flowers that were once kept at home.
And past editors must have been smoking something to back Idi Amin and publish Ezra Pound.
We Salesians were delighted with the article by George M. Anderson, S.J., on Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez, S.D.B., and world poverty (“Advocate for the World’s Poorest,” 3/30). We do regret, however, that America never seems to remember that the cardinal is one of our Salesian confreres—not even an S.D.B. after his name!
Michael Mendel, S.D.B.
New Rochelle, N.Y.Teaching Virtue
The issues of prudence, excess and public service raised in “Generation S” and the Of Many Things column by Drew Christiansen, S.J., in the issue of March 2 remind us of the need for ethics classes for all college students. We remember when most colleges and universities did not require an ethics class for M.B.A. students—and these are the greedy business executives who have brought down the economy of the entire world. They still do not seem stricken by conscience or repentant.
Ethics courses in all our colleges and universities could prepare the members of Generation S for lives of prudence and service for the common good.
(Rev.) John F. Cain
Spencer, IowaSuch a Fuss
Thank you to John F. Kavanaugh, S.J., for his reflections on the controversy over President Obama’s upcoming visit to the University of Notre Dame (“Outrages,” 4/13 online edition). We north of your border here in Canada scratch our heads when we see such a fuss. Yes, we have our disagreements—some significant—but I thought the age of mindless confrontation had passed.
To insult the holder of the highest office in your nation with an “uninvite” is hardly a constructive way to engage others in the conversation that is necessary if any change is to take place. Obama also stands for so much that reflects Gospel values. We have to keep perspective.
Brian Massie, S.J.
Winnipeg, CanadaHonoring the Good
John F. Kavanaugh, S.J. (“Outrages,” 4/13 online edition), presented a well-reasoned and realistic commentary on the recent firestorm over the invitation to President Obama from the University of Notre Dame to speak at its commencement ceremony. Obama had called for a national discussion about abortion in his book The Audacity of Hope. I am disappointed that he did not allow for that discussion to take place before he made a number of decisions after he took office, but this hardly makes him the Antichrist.
What about Obama’s compassion for the poor, his aversion to conducting unjust wars, his desire to care for the health of all Americans, his reaching out to the leaders of the world to call for justice and to share the world’s riches of food, water and natural resources? Does all of this count for nothing? Can we not honor these good things he does and continue to encourage him to re-examine some of his stances?
Gahanna, OhioStraight Talk
I enjoyed the article by Timothy Radcliffe, O.P. (“The Shape of the Church to Come,” 4/13), and particularly valued his approach of looking to where and how the Catholic Church can make the greatest contribution to future times.
But I think it is a misrepresentation to portray Jesus as essentially a “conversational” man. In many situations, Jesus was uncompromisingly apodictical, as when he said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” or “If your hand or foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away.”
Weston, Mass.Global Vision
Re “The Shape of the Church to Come” by Timothy Radcliffe, O.P. (4/13): Since I was a young teenage girl, I have considered myself a progressive Catholic. But, as Radcliffe notes, viewing oneself as part of a traditionalist/progressive dichotomy is polarizing and wounding to the church, and is counterproductive at this point.
There is far too much “circling of the wagons” going on today, and it only leads to the exclusion of others. Surely God loves all his/her children. How could it be otherwise? What parent does not love all of his/her children? What parent does not give each of his or her children chance after chance? What parent would not reach out to a child who may have rejected one route to heaven to choose another?
Perhaps an appropriate image for the shape of the church to come is a “Hoberman Sphere,” which expands and collapses around a core center. With God in the center and all of humanity on the circumference, we can come closer to God only by coming closer to others; and coming closer to others brings us closer to God.
The exclusionary view of “I’m saved, you’re not” just sends us all on our different ways—outward!
Congratulations to America on 100 years of publication, and thank you for the magnificent banquet for mind, heart and soul that you have offered for a century. The centennial issue (4/13) contains a treasure trove of articles. The writings of Elizabeth Johnson, C.S.J. (“An Earthy Christology”), never fail to surprise, delight and call us to God with her eloquence and graciousness of expression, and the article by Timothy Radcliffe, O.P. (“The Shape of the Church to Come”) excites us with the positive possibilities for our church during a time when judgmental fundamentalism seems to be on the rise. He presents a big, big picture and encourages us with a profoundly hopeful view of the future.
Also, the passionate and personal article on vocation by Helen Prejean, C.S.J., (“Ride the Current”) would be an inspiration for anyone at any point in one’s life. Thank you 100 times. | <urn:uuid:cc6b31d1-a23a-4502-94df-4b7b2136e63f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://americamagazine.org/print/issue/696/letters/letters | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953211 | 1,533 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Easter should be for Christian remembrance, not for chocolate
Here’s my weekly newspaper column published today in The National
The shelves at my local supermarket are straining beneath the weight of chocolate eggs and hot cross buns, in anticipation of Easter this weekend. While these luxuries are being wolfed down by many, Christians are marking their belief in the event of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial and subsequent resurrection.
As I enter the store I’m hit by the notion that this weekend is not Easter, but a Festival of Sugar. As a lover of chocolate in particular, I’d be right behind the creation of Chocoholic Sunday (marketers take note: you heard it here first). But why oh why does a very serious religious celebration about betrayal, sacrifice and redemption need to be turned into a cutesy commercial extravaganza?
While Easter is pivotal to Christian doctrine, as a Muslim, I don’t accept the premise of crucifixion and resurrection. For me, Jesus was not God, nor the Son of God, nor part of a Trinity. He was a human being, albeit a prophet, whom I hold in extremely high status. However, like significant events in all religions, I believe it is important to respect the believers of that religion and their reverence for the event. Just as I feel dismayed at the increasing commercialisation of Ramadan and Eid, I feel the same dismay at the commercialisation of Easter.
Easter doesn’t suffer as badly as Christmas, which has turned into an extenuated and indulgent shopping fest. That’s probably because the gory events of Easter are much less easy to paint with a romantic cuddly brush. But at least most people have an inkling of the core message of Christmas: the birth of Jesus, hope, peace and goodwill. Easter’s more complex messages are waylaid at the hollow altar of crème eggs and cuddly bunnies.
Survey after survey show that the meaning of Easter is slowly being lost. In the United States, Barna Group noted that only 42 per cent of adults could identify that Easter was about resurrection. Yet the National Retail Federation says Easter spending could top $16bn (Dh59bn) this year, the average household spending $145.
The story is the same in the UK, where Reader’s Digest found only 48 per cent of people could identify the story of Easter. Shopping has become such an ingrained part of the occasion, that a supermarket managed to mess up, not once but twice. The Somerfield chain had to reissue a press release about the meaning of Easter, claiming first it was about the birth of Christ, and then about his “rebirth”.
So why, as a Muslim, do I care? Shouldn’t I be pleased that a religious occasion at odds with my own theology is disappearing? Far from it. It’s important to respect other faiths, and even more so to share the universal morals from their stories. Easter follows the occasion of Lent, a period of self-restraint, reminiscent of Ramadan. Then there is the lesson of betrayal: those who sell themselves out like Judas will live and die with regret. And a vital point: there are those who believe in the ideals of justice and equality with such passion that they are willing to sacrifice their own lives.
Bunnies are cute, and chocolate eggs are tasty. And it’s true that there’s a gap in the calendar for a Chocoholic Sunday. It doesn’t need to be on Easter Sunday.
While we might not accept the premise of the occasions of other religions, we should mourn the fact that festivals such as Easter and Ramadan – which have much to tell us about ourselves and the human predicament – are being turned into shopping and eating extravaganzas. | <urn:uuid:ec4fe6c7-9173-40d9-b815-909217057445> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.spirit21.co.uk/2012/04/easter-should-be-for-christian-remembrance-not-for-chocolate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960027 | 806 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Council Prepares As Forecasters Predict Snow Again For Esher
By Sam_hilton | Wednesday, November 02, 2011, 13:01
We've had two bitterly cold winters in a row and there is every chance this winter will be the same. Surrey County Council has invested £750,000 in continency measures to make sure the county is prepared.
Snow on Giggs Hill Green Near Esher last Winter
They are as follows:
- It has worked to fill more than 1,700 grit bins across the county.
- 17,000 tonnes of salt has been ordered so that residents can treat their pavements and roads.
- Farmers have been enlisted to help increase the number of snow ploughs available to 50, gritting 110 extra miles of road and doubling the amount of grit used by councils in town centres to 40 tonnes.
So far, it's feeling pretty mild for November and I can't imagine it being cold enough yet, but who knows what the next few weeks may bring. | <urn:uuid:f04ac6ca-513a-43e0-992b-3fe0cdb5304b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.esherpeople.co.uk/Council-Prepares-Big-Freeze-Hit-Esher/story-13732709-detail/story.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964694 | 207 | 1.601563 | 2 |
Sorry I wasn't around Leasa (and Tomer).
Chabichou? or Cabécou? Two different famous lactic goat cheeses from France's Loire Valley.
Yellow mold could be just geo formation. Red one however is usually a sign of too much moisture. Green spotting is quite normal for these types of cheeses when they go past 20 days or so and many French people prefer them with a few green spots.. If it's this green however has the hideous flavor of sawdust, it is probably just a contamination of bread yeast that traveled in the air from your kitchen or by sharing knife or plate with bread, or baking and touching the cheese with hands that have not been washed thoroughly between baking and cheese.
It should not taste bluey though. You may have other things going that make it taste a bit bitter/sour reminiscent of blue. For example, using too much rennet can cause that, or if the milk is very fatty (too much lipolisys, the fat breakdown that lands cheese its sharp notes). It could also be just overly ripening so you are feeling ammonia, which could feel blue-like.
By the way, here's a little trick if you ever wonder whether or not you are tasting blue or ammonia:
Drink orange juice right after you taste the cheese. If you can't feel the flavor of the orange juice and your mouth is all tingly, than your palate is out of whack and you probably just tasted cheese with lots of ammonia. If however the flavor of the orange juice comes out right, than your palate is still in balance - you have tasted blue.
Tomer - yes, Chabichou uses geo but other strains such as PC may be present too. Yeast is part of the surface of this cheese. It can also contain a small amount of B.Linen (no wash. It's just a naturally growing aromatic). | <urn:uuid:cf5c6f1b-6edd-4fad-a411-a6074847ab25> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9078.0/prev_next,prev.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966368 | 393 | 1.671875 | 2 |
President Barack Obama today defended his wide-ranging health care plan and said he is confident of passing health care reform, but he stopped short of saying that he would veto any plan that does not include the widely pilloried "public option" he has been pushing.
"We have not drawn lines in the sand, other than that reform has to control costs and that it has to provide relief to people who don't have health insurance or are under-insured," the president said at a White House press conference.
Pressed on the question of whether a public plan is non-negotiable, the president said that it was not, at least not yet.
"You know, those are the broad parameters that we've discussed. There are a whole host of other issues where ultimately I may have a strong opinion, and I will express those to members of Congress as this is shaping up. It's too early to say that. Right now, I will say that our position is that a public plan makes sense."
Tune in to Diane Sawyer's interview with President Obama on "Good Morning America" Wednesday, June 24, at 7:00 a.m. ET
The public option system has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, but Obama refused to say whether it was a necessary element in the legislation that he would sign. He said it was "not logical" to think that a public option would drive the private insurance industry into the ground.
"If private insurers say that the marketplace provides the best quality health care; if they tell us that they're offering a good deal, then why is it that the government, which they say can't run anything, suddenly is going to drive them out of business? That's not logical," he said.
Obama also seemed to back off from his promise that people who like their health care plans will be able to keep them under his plan for reform, and instead of saying that "no one" will take away any American's health insurance, today he said only that the government would not do so.
ABC News asked how the president could make such a guarantee if the public-run plan was cheaper, thus possibly enticing employers to enroll employees in that plan.
"When I say if you have your plan and you like it, ... or you have a doctor and you like your doctor, that you don't have to change plans, what I'm saying is the government is not going to make you change plans under health reform," the president said.
This was a shift from what the president said just last week, when he told a gathering of the nation's doctors, "If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what."
Today, Obama pinned the possible changes on employers, who may adjust their health care plans due to costs, and maintained that the government will not be the force behind the changes.
"I can guarantee you that there's the possibility for a whole lot of Americans out there that they're not going to end up having the same health care they have," he said. "Because what's going to happen is, as costs keep on going up, employers are going to start making decisions. We've got to raise premiums on our employees. In some cases, we can't provide health insurance at all." | <urn:uuid:6871e982-f1c6-49ce-a93a-5db74b635590> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7905966&page=1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987656 | 703 | 1.5625 | 2 |
You're welcome Ankhesenamun. i see your point about Tiy and Kiya and i agree with you.
So is Nefertiti, Ay's daughter? Another million dollar question. Again the answer is there is no solid proof. So why do some and by all means not all experts believe Ay is Nefertiti's father. In part because of the titles Ay shares in common with Yuya... the reason this time is, well Yuya was the father-in-law of Amenhotep III therefore Ay must be the father of Nefertiti because he has the same powerful titles i.e., father of the God, and Master of the Horse. However how being father of the God relates to being the father of the Pharaohs' wife isn't explained. Anymore than being Master of the Horse relates to being the father of Pharaohs' wife.
Another often quoted "proof" is that in the early Amarna reliefs that survive we can find Mutnodjmet, whose only title is 'sister of Nefertiti'. We do know that in Ay's tomb at Amarna, Mutnodjmet is despicted in it. This being taken as 'proof' that she was his daughter. However, Nefertiti is not recongized in it other than as his Queen at the side of Akhenaten.
Here the discussion usually turns to the only known wife of Ay. Often called Tiy II, to keep her seperate from Queen Tiy and because in Ay's royal tomb she is recongized as his own Great Royal wife. Although it is generally accepted that she was dead long before he came to the throne. Tiy II, in surviving Amarna reliefs has only the title as the Goddess' Nurse and Governess. She is never recongized as Nefertiti's mother, therefore she is not accepted as being the mother of Nefertiti. i am not even sure if she is universially accepted as the mother of Mutnodjmet. i have read some experts that accept the theory that Ay was the brother of Q. Tiy I, was actually raising his nieces the daughters, of yet another unknown sibbling of Q. Tiy I. Yet, if this theory holds any water, they do not explain why Mutnodjmet is in Ay's tomb as a daughter while Nefertiti is not. Other experts explain that Nefertiti is actually Ay's daughter by some unknown first wife. Again if this is true why is neither of them in his tomb?
So we have only a few surviving reliefs where Ay's daughter Mutnodjmet is called the 'sister of Nefertiti'. We can accept this literally as most do. Or we can ask IS THERE ANY OTHER POSSIBLE EXPLAINATION FOR THIS? Again, yes there is and it is in Tiy II being the recongized "the nurse" of Nefertiti. Throughtout, history the children of nurses are often considered as a kind of sibling to the nursing child belonging to another couple. Since Mutnodjmet, was the child of Ay, a very important offical of Akhenaten, and the child(?) of Tiy II the Nurse and Governess of Nefertiti. Mutnodjmet's title of being "sister" to Nefertiti might have been strictly honorific and not biological at all.
The third "proof" accepted of Ay being Nefertiti's father by those that accept it. Is that Horemheb did marry a woman with the name of Mutnodjmet. In one of his reliefs, he claims that the "daughter of Pharaoh bowed to him".
Since most experts kill, Q. Ankhesenamun, off shortly after a forced marriage to Ay, to cement his right to the throne. And all of her sisters at about the same time as Tutankhamun succeeds to the throne. This leaves very few "daughter(s) of Pharaoh" around to be bowing to Horemheb.
These experts reason it had to be Mutnodjmet the daughter of Pharaoh Ay. Of course these experts claim this gives Horemheb the 'right' to the throne. Because he married the daughter of Pharaoh. Of course Amenhotep III and Akhenaten didn't do this and it did not seem to threaten their rights to the throne is dismissed. The fact is... the Mutnodjmet that Horemheb did marry is not claimed by him or her to be the daughter of Pharaoh Ay and as one expert stated may not even be the same person.
So there you have it... is Ay's Nefertiti father? Since none of the "proofs" are really anything substantial, i don't accept Ay as Nefertiti's father. Of course you and others are free to accept the proofs as given.
As for Tiy being a nickname of Nefertiti. i do believe i have read something along that line myself. Nothing current i assure you... today, it is too well known that they were two different women. Or three if you count Ay's wifely Tiy.
Venturing a guess i would suggest that it relates to Dr. Velikovsky's work titled Akhenaten and Oedipus. In this book, he compares the known life at his time (1930-1956) of AKhenaten with the character from a play by a Greek writer some 900 years after the death and forgotten memory of AKhenaten. It is an interesting theory where he believes that Akhenaten (Oedipus) married his mother Queen Tiy. Here may be the source of the Tiy is a nickname for Nefertiti, it may not too but it is the only thing i can think of that might account for it.
i hope this is a help
and have a nice day.
If you are interested in more of this Akhenaten/Oedipus work of Dr. Velikovsky. Please go the Pharaohs topic and cursor down until you find the thread Akhenaten/Oedipus the theory is explored in some depht there. | <urn:uuid:388bbd65-ba63-49cb-a3ad-cfacd3425133> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kingtutone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=7243 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981939 | 1,299 | 1.710938 | 2 |
All the travelers that are eager to witness the unending delights of Tamil Nadu which is also known as The Land of Enduring Heritage, Tamilnadu tourism will serve to be your best travel partner and guide. It will take you past the numerous visual delights of this place that will mesmerize you and will leave you enchanted. This place is a lot popular for its grand temples palm fringed beaches, unique wildlife and panoramic hill stations. During your Tamil Nadu Tour you can explore these natural bounties and the picturesque landscapes of this enchanting land of palpable beauty.
Tamil Nadu, known as the land of Temples, is a home to more than 300,000 temples out of which some of them are more than a thousand years old. The most alluring features of Tamilnadu temples are their huge gateways, Gopurams, grand halls with tall pillars and the holy sanctum sanctorum. Every temple situated here is a marvel in itself and truly is a living testimony to the glorious past of the enchanting Tamil Nadu. Temples of Tamil Nadu are thronged by hundreds of devotees all around the year that come to these temples to offer prayers. Some of the most famous temples in Tamil Nadu are Meenakshi, Chidabbaram ,Rameshwaram, Kaniyakumari,Palani Murugan and Kapaleeswara. If you are on a trip to Tamil Nadu do not miss to visit the temples here.
Tourist places in Tamilnadu
Tamil Nadu is full of fascinating allures that are worth visiting, its famous cities like Chennai, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Kaniyakumari have no dearth of allures, its marvelous temples and awe inspiring hill stations will charm you till your hearts extent and will beckon you to make a visit again.
Located in Madurai, the magnificent Meenakshi Temple is considered to be one of the holiest shrines of the Hindus, this temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati, is a true example of Temple Art. The most alluring features of Meenakshi temple are its Gopurams, its thousand pillars and the Golden Lotus Tank which add on to beauty to this beautiful place. For all the travelers who are planning to take a route towards Tamil Nadu, do not miss to visit the masterpieces of temple art form situated here. | <urn:uuid:4d8a1d2f-6892-415a-9ce6-868a6a90b7ef> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://travel-tip.ezinemark.com/tamilnadu-tourism-explore-the-unending-delights-7d3658384495.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93386 | 501 | 1.757813 | 2 |
The future of in-flight entertainment
While a short promotional movie called Howdy Chicago was shown to passengers on an plane that flew over the Chicago World's Fair in 1921, there were no regular in-flight movies until 1961, when Trans World Airlines (TWA) began offering that novel perk to its first-class customers.
Video games (1975), seat-back video (1991) and live in-flight television (2000) followed, and today passengers in all classes, on both long and short haul flights, have come to expect some sort of airline-provided, in-flight entertainment.
And they get it. Often on a personal, seat-back multi-channel systems that deliver everything from creatively produced safety videos to movies, games, live television, shopping opportunities and, increasingly, access to the internet.
But tech-savvy passengers toting tablets, laptops, smartphones, e-readers, and other portable electronic devices are giving airlines and the traditional in-flight entertainment systems a run for their money. This has forced providers to re-think how they use technology to entertain and interact with passengers in the sky.
I got a good look at how that process is evolving earlier this month in Long Beach, Calif., when I served as one of the judges for an award given out by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) at its annual expo. The event also featured educational sessions about the wide variety of technological changes coming to in-flight entertainment systems, plus a giant hall filled with exhibitors representing products, services and content you may experience on a future flight.
Breaking down all the tech-talk , the good news is that from the latest movies and games to documentaries, kids programming and health and wellness videos, there will be no shortage of in-flight entertainment options. Seat-back screens and systems are unlikely to go away, and in fact they may soon get even snazzier, with high definition, 3-D movies and games, and even holographic offerings on the horizon. But airlines are also scrambling to work out how to deliver that same programming, plus Wi-Fi, streaming and internet-delivered content, to travelers on their own or airline-provided devices.
For example, JetBlue just announced that in early 2013, it plans to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi, with plans to equip 30 planes with what it promises will be super-fast service. After that, checking e-mail and touring the internet should remain free, but there will be a fee for watching films.
Delta Air Lines also recently announced plans to upgrade its Wi-Fi equipped airplanes and offer passengers the ability to stream programming directly to their personal devices using a service called Gogo Vision. Fees for that programming will start at $.99 for TV shows and $3.99 for full-length movies. And here's a nice touch: If you don't finish watching something on the plane or want to download another program to watch at home or in your hotel later, you'll have access to that material on that same device (if you've got access to the internet) after your flight for 24 hours. Look for that on 800 of Delta's two-class domestic aircraft by the end of 2013.
Of course, accessing all this programming on your personal electronic devices means you'll be asking your batteries to give it their all, unless you're lucky enough to have a (working) USB port or power outlet at your seat. And that brings up another issue: Will airlines add the juice to power devices to the menu of items for sale in-flight?
Don't be surprised if it comes down to that. The airline industry already earns more than $32 billion a year in ancillary revenue from 'unbundled' services such as baggage fees, change fees, in-flight meals and Wi-Fi, and in one of the expo workshops a presenter pointed out that airlines have a "prime opportunity to monetize the onboard experience" because passengers are easily influenced on board and "have a higher propensity to spend." So if you're going to spring for the movie, perhaps you'll won't mind paying a bit more to make sure you'll be able to watch that movie the entire way through.
Not everything on view in the Expo exhibition hall was super high-tech.
Recognizing that so many passengers now travel with their own tablets, e-readers and other portable electronic devices, Smart Tray International was there to introduce a tray table with what seemed to be a common-sense, built-in groove for holding those devices upright.
And while Uplifted, a fitness company from Perth, Australia, had rented a booth in hopes of selling airlines a nicely-produced exercise video that mixed in moves from yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi that passengers can do at their seats, company founder Sally Dollas also had a stash of instructional workout pamphlets on heavy paper that were a snap to hang on the latch of an upright tray table.
MORE: Read previous columns
Harriet Baskas is the author of six books, including the airport guidebook Stuck at the Airport and a blog of the same name. | <urn:uuid:944198bf-6bbe-438c-8c01-782d42fc08af> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2012/09/26/the-future-of-in-flight-entertainment/57845382/1?csp=34travel | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00003-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954523 | 1,053 | 1.523438 | 2 |
"e-Business" is one of those terms, like "campaign finance reform", that seems to have a different meaning every time you hear it. For some, Amazon.com is the archetype e-Business, representing a new breed on online commerce. Others would point to Yahoo, which ships nothing but bits. Kalakota and Robinson do not address either of these crowds; their challenge is the transformation of large existing organizations with the introduction of superior technology in decision-making, sales, procurement, and other aspects of their businesses.
Both authors are consultants to large companies looking to improve their use of technology. In this book, Kalakota and Robinson's technique is to define the terms of art in each area, explain the advantages to installing a modern computerized solution, mention some of the leading providers, and provide examples of firms which have successfully implemented such a system. They close each chapter with a "memo to the CEO" which summarizes the material discussed and might serve as a template for documents to be created by the reader.
The presumed audience for the book seems to be lower- or middle- management at large organizations, people who have (or want to have) responsibility for technology plans, and who need to catch up with the whirlwind of acronyms which populate the pages of Infoworld. This book is for those who have heard the acronym ERP, aren't sure what it means, but suspect that their jobs depend on it. It would do equally well for readers responsible for technology at a companies with legacy systems, who want to justify increases in their budgets by arguing that the competition has adopted superior software and practices.
These practises include the obvious chapters on the use of customer relationship management software to acquire new customers and increase the value of existing customers, the use supply chain management software to coordinate the delivery of the money and factors necessary to make products. They also discuss less obvious, but perhaps even more important issues. For example, they cover the Cluetrain-like need to build products and services in response to customer demand. They discuss e-Business employee retention policy, and suggest that employees should get paid more if they perform better. That's not a bad idea at any business.
The use of case studies generally strengthens the book. One of their most powerful techniques is to contrast successful companies with unsuccessful ones, and to draw out the differences between them. Why is it that you can order a minutely customized computer online, but can't do the same with a Xerox copier? However, some of the examples do seem trite (another puffy biography of Michael Dell adds little to my life).
Given the book's corporate focus and the credentials of its authors, it was surprisingly sloppy in its details. I found several errors or typos (SAP's R/1 released in 1993? Please) and some mixed metaphors (such as the reference to the "Lemmings in the Pied Piper story").
The book is not for people who want to do something new or innovative. It drives the reader to adopt the solutions which others in the industry have already adopted, both in practices and often in particular products. To a typical Slashdot reader, who probably identifies with the underdog, this may grow bothersome. The authors definitely espouse a "me too" strategy.
The "Memo to the CEO" section at the end of each chapter grew tiresome. It was a cute idea but they overused it.
Alexander Pope once said "A little learning is a dangerous thing." Many people will read a book and think this makes them into experts. God help anybody whose boss reads this thing and decides to run with it. It does not reach anywhere near the depth necessary to allow you to oversee the implementation of the systems it discusses.
To the credit of its authors, "e-Business: Roadmap for Success" provides a balanced view, talks about failed implementations as well as successes, and does not try to sell technology as a "magic bullet."
Ultimately, I have to judge any book of this type on the basis of whether or not I learn anything from it. In this case, I did. It's a somewhat voyeuristic understanding, since "e-Business" teaches of practices at companies both different from and larger than my own. However, if my company should grow by a couple orders of magnitude, having read this book will leave me better prepared to implement systems for continued success.
A useful review of the best e-Business techniques employed at the end of the century by large companies. The right reader can use this book to design proposals that might lead to improved efficiency, quality, and customer relations.
back to the books page | <urn:uuid:a2147470-430e-481f-b6cd-4c0fd042dbd0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wheels.org/books/eBusiness.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968604 | 956 | 1.515625 | 2 |
Inside the horrific slaughterhouse where animals were cut to pieces BEFORE they were killed
- Undercover footage emerges of slaughterhouse in Miami, Florida, where investigators believe animals have been butchered alive
- Gelio Hernandez, 50, and Angel Busurot, 46, deny inhumanely slaughtering the animals and selling their meat
- The men face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty
By Rob Preece
Two men have appeared in court after gruesome undercover footage emerged of a slaughterhouse where investigators believe pigs were cut into pieces before being killed.
Gelio Hernandez, 50, and Angel Busurot, 46, are accused of inhumanely slaughtering the animals and selling their meat.
The two men from Miami, Florida, who each face up to 15 years in prison if they are found guilty, have denied the charges.
Scroll down for video
Inquiry: Footage has emerged of a slaughterhouse where investigators believe pigs were killed inhumanely
'Inhumane': Pigs were cut into pieces while still alive at the slaughterhouse, authorities allege
Investigators believe the slaughtering operation has been running for some time, with Busurot being the ringleader.
Richard Couto of the Animal Recovery Mission, told WSVN: 'This guy has been butchering animals alive for years and years.'
Mr Couto added: 'Any butchering alive case that we investigate is pretty horrific.
'Just imagine being taken apart and disassembled while you are still alive.'
Authorities suspect that pigs and goats have been kept in poor conditions and cut up while still alive.
Accused: Gelio Hernandez (left) and Angel Busurot (right) deny inhumanely slaughtering the animals and selling their meat illegally
Investigation: The men appeared in court after undercover footage of the slaughterhouse was obtained
Conditions: The slaughterhouse's wet floor is shown in this image from the undercover footage
Their meat has then been sold illegally, investigators say.
Couto said: 'The animals are being beaten, they're not being fed
properly, and worst of all is that they're being taken apart prior to
Allegations: Richard Couto, of the Animal Recovery Mission, said animals were beaten and not fed properly
He said the operation was shut down back in 2010 but re-emerged.
'They weren't hit hard enough with penalties and prosecuted properly,' he added.
Mr Couto believes that some of the meat was sold to local restaurants.
It is estimated that as many as 1,000 illegal slaughterhouses could be operating in Florida.
He said: 'I'm sure that some of the smaller mom and pop butcher shops and restaurants are getting their meat for human consumption from some of these farms.
'Some of these smaller butcher shops and restaurants are buying this meat at half-price compared to if they would from a legal distributor.'
The killing is said to have taken place at a site down a dirt road in Northwest Miami-Dade.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said: 'At that location, the defendants engaged in the commercial slaughter of swine and goats.
'Hernandez and Busurot also processed, handled, stored, and sold the meat and meat food products at the site for human consumption.'
Hernandez defended himself by uploading a video on YouTube, in which he accused environment officials of harassment.
He said in Spanish: 'The allegations that the government is making, that these properties are a wetland, it's a big lie.
'This is a conspiracy of different agencies in Miami-Dade.'
Scene: The killing is said to have taken place at a site down a dirt road in Northwest Miami-Dade
Suspect: Gelio Hernandez sought to defend himself by uploading a video on YouTube, in which he accused environment officials of harassment
Undercover footage from the slaughterhouse | <urn:uuid:be6b4cb8-5b15-478a-b272-565ad4a425c0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2190867/Inside-horrific-slaughterhouse-animals-cut-pieces-BEFORE-killed.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968586 | 804 | 1.65625 | 2 |
“I only write when I am
inspired. Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o’clock every morning.” -William Faulkner
There once was a time when I thought I could only write when I was depressed. This did not bode well for my writing career–or maybe for my future mental health. Thankfully, I have since found I can indeed write in any kind of mood. It is a matter of sitting down and doing it. Granted, sometimes it turns out better than others, sometimes I end out deleting everything the following day, but even that is a sort of priming the pump. As John Cleese mentioned in his speech about creativity, sometimes in order to know what an elephant is, you have to chisel away the non-elephant parts.
For the most part, I have found that inspiration comes AFTER I’ve sat down and started writing. It is the act of writing–or painting or drawing or whatever–that brings about the desired inspiration. As Michael Michalko says in his post, Twelve Things You Were Not Taught in School About Creativity,
3. You must go through the motions of being creative. When you are producing ideas, you are replenishing neurotransmitters linked to genes that are being turned on and off in response to what your brain is doing, which in turn is responding to challenges. When you go through the motions of trying to come up with new ideas, you are energizing your brain by increasing the number of contacts between neurons. The more times you try to get ideas, the more active your brain becomes and the more creative you become. If you want to become an artist and all you did was paint a picture every day, you will become an artist. You may not become another Vincent Van Gogh, but you will become more of an artist than someone who has never tried.
How many times do we put limitations on ourselves and our creativity? We can only paint if we are happy, we can only compose if we are “in the mood”, we can only write at night, or in the morning, or when we are drunk. The list goes on. Yup, there is no magic formula on when or how to be creative, but the more we try it, the more chance we have at discovering the elephant and not just the “not-elephant.”
Number 10 in Michael Michalko‘s post is “You do not see things as they are; you see them as you are.” I love this point even though it can be both good and bad. Take the idea that I can only write when I am depressed. This is not true, but if I see it that way and only sit down to write when I am depressed, bingo! Self-fulfilling prophecy. On the flip side, this is what makes each of us creative. I can write a novel about–oh, let’s say a dystopia since that is particularly big right–and yet still make it unique. So go ahead and write, draw, paint, compose the piece that only YOU can create. | <urn:uuid:abff91bc-a342-44fd-9f36-32f67e598717> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sarahmcelrath.com/be_inspired/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97226 | 645 | 1.84375 | 2 |
House Speaker Robert DeLeo says the goal for future health care cost increases in Massachusetts will be “more in line with Gross State Product (GSP), which is 3.7%.”
DeLeo, speaking to members of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, did not say if the goal should be exactly in line with the state’s economic growth rate, a little higher or a little lower. The difference could mean billions of dollars, and it’s the topic of heated behind-the-scenes debate.
Some business leaders have been pushing for GSP -2 points while others say GSP +1 point (4.7% based on the current growth rate) is more realistic. Premiums for some employers in Massachusetts are growing well below 3.7% right now, but leading economists say this trend won’t hold without major changes in the way we deliver and pay for health care.
Victor Fuchs, a man some call the dean of health care economists, told The New York Times today that the US will need a revolutionary change to fix problems with health care costs, quality and access to care.
Senate President Therese Murray has not said if she supports setting a health care cost control goal based on the state’s growth rate. The idea of linking health care costs to economic growth has been around for a few years. Back in 2008, the state’s Health Care Quality and Cost Council set a goal of holding costs to the adjusted gross domestic product by 2012. So, here is it 2012 and it looks like state house leaders may reach an agreement on this goal, or something in line with it. The other hot topic of debate is what happens when insurers or providers exceed the limit.
Here are the relevant parts of DeLeo’s speech, as prepared for delivery:
…Training the workers of tomorrow and creating jobs is important. But equally important is containing those costs that pressure budgets at home and on Beacon Hill – controlling health care costs and providing reforms. Addressing and reforming costs in our health care system remains a priority. While health care reform is a comprehensive issue, there are several essential pieces of our plan that will prove significant to the business community. First is to significantly cut cost-growth in health care. Costs in the health care industry have been growing at an average rate of between 6.7 and 8 percent per year. Our goal will be for medical expenses to grow more in line with Gross State Product, which is 3.7%. Our proposal will provide the means to do so, and will allow the market the necessary time to get there. Thanks to our efforts, insurers and providers are already responding. Costs are coming down, but we need a long term sustainable plan. Health care is a 70 billion dollar industry in Massachusetts, and we need to be more thoughtful in how those dollars are spent.
We will also make aggressive disclosure and transparency changes, giving businesses and consumers the ability to make more informed health care choices. We want to build upon the success of prior reforms which created more limited network and tiered insurance coverage products for businesses and consumers. We want to enhance consumer education and provide protections to empower them to become more engaged. We want to give them the ability to make informed decisions while also ensuring that they will continue to be able to receive the highest quality health care. Additionally, we want to expand initiatives geared towards improved health and fitness through wellness programs. It is important that we create incentives for employees to be more responsible for their health, which will help to reduce the financial burden on the employer.
We recognize that the health care sector is our largest provider of employment, and we do not want to impede innovation. Our aim for this legislation is to preserve our efforts to be the best in health care while comprehensively tackling cost. Five years ago, the Commonwealth made strides in providing access to health care to every citizen. We must make sure that Massachusetts continues to lead the nation in not only access and quality of services, but also in efficiency.
If the years of the current economic downturn have taught us anything, it is that Massachusetts — as it has in the past – leads the nation. Thanks to our financial stability and sound fiscal management, we are poised to outpace other states in the battle for jobs and set the stage for a new era of growth. As we fight for prosperity, we will build on our long-established advantages and position ourselves to prevail in the future. I welcome your help and partnership in this effort. | <urn:uuid:d5d1b308-6224-4e4b-8217-bb8b26da0474> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://commonhealth.wbur.org/2012/03/speaker-says-state-will-tie-health-cost-increases-to-economic-growth-rate | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963804 | 917 | 1.664063 | 2 |
Day 3, June 2nd (San Jose Island)
“Cafe Grande please!” That’s Michael. He’s a late riser and a big person. By this time, Tio Guero knew he would have to prepare enough coffee and food for Michael. Michael always starts his morning begging for a grande coffee.
Luis, who was showing off his very nice-looking Puma sneakers for hiking, was put out when the soles fell off yesterday. “Now I realize why they were selling it two-for-one!” They look more like boxing shoes today.
After breakfast, we gathered our things so we could move to the next point, which was San Jose Island. We became more efficient in what we did through the course of the journey.
It’s not just about arriving to the island, but also getting there. You see a lot of marine life along the way. The vast sea seems as empty as the desert until suddenly a dark beast bursts through the surface. We were laughing with excitement at a big school of common dolphins herding us along on the way to El Pardito, where we made a quick stop.
The guests said El Pardito was an impressive little island. The family (and three previous generations) who lives there is very warm and hospitable; they always invite people in to their home. Some of us asked, “How can people live with so little and be so happy?”
In 1916, a fifteen-year-old seeking the life of Robinson Crusoe on his own desert island settled here. Don Juan Cuevas Ramirez died at age 75, but not before he had sired three generations closely linked to the sea.
El Pardito is about 150 km northwest of La Paz, between the islands of San Francisquito and San Jose. Its little chapel, school, solar-driven desalinization plant and radio help the isolated, tiny family community survive in this remote outpost on the Sea of Cortez.
These days overfishing by big international entities and illegal poachers threaten their modest livelihood. The need for national and international conservation pressure is great to preserve our Baja legacy.
The younger generation has turned to music to supplement the islet economy – three of them have formed a ranchera band. The songs of Los Grandes Del Pardito celebrate the life of the island family.
We left the little island fishing village and headed to the mangroves of San Jose Island. First it was ocean and desert, and then suddenly you come into an area that is so green that the contrast between the colors is hard to comprehend.
On the way to the beach Palma Sola Island we saw another school of common dolphins churning up the blue. Palma Sola is called “lonely palm tree” because there is one sole palm tree on the beach, making you feel like you came across an oasis in the middle of the desert. But we couldn’t feel alone in the wilderness with that friendly squad of dolphins racing alongside.
We camped on this island beach for the night. First we anchored and then immediately provided shade and fresh water to everyone. This time people were more energetic and knew what to do.
Day 4, June 3rd (Agua Verde Island)
Agua Verde is a beautiful place. The water is greener here because the type of sea bottom, the color of the rocks and sand there is lighter.
Oscar Ramirez, the other Oscar on the journey, expressed amazement at the beauty of his land. He feels prouder than ever to be a native of Baja California Sur and share his Baja heritage with us.
We saw Don Jose, a person whom we met on our first islands trip back in 2009, during the flu outbreak.
Ricky Ricky is Mr. Everything. He cooks and helps out with everything. With his positive attitude, nothing is too difficult for him. Cabo Expeditions is lucky to have him on our team!
As we prepared for sleep tonight, we drank in the beauty of the stars so close and bright. The next day we would discover stars of many colors at the place we were to name “Stars under the Sea.”
To be continued… | <urn:uuid:5d658e5f-817e-4994-aab3-e4482610660c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.caboexpeditions.org/a-blog-from-the-sea-of-cortez-part-3/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972563 | 893 | 1.835938 | 2 |
When I’m saying “perceived relevance” then I mean that an engineer at Google, or any other search engine, is trying to rank the “best” pages on top for a particular search query (the more relevant a search result to its query, the better for the user), and that what’s relevant or best is a highly subjective issue to begin with. An engineer/ programmer/ developer must come up with a basic concept for ranking pages, like “let’s think of web links as votes on pages, and call this thing PageRank.” An engineer must then evaluate the search results for different queries (with the help of feedback by external quality testers, actual usage data and so on), and fine-tune the algo again, for example to battle search result spam.
Now, I don’t think there’s a way to get around the subjectivity on this level, because there is no such thing as a truly “objective” result ranking. Any ranking must reflect the human values of the team who came up with the ranking algos (or of those who judged the result through feedback polls), unless indeed we find the source code on the road... nothing too desirable either if it would be realistic. At this level, we can however argue that to some extent, “all individual pages and search queries are equal.”
On top of trying to rank pages solely automatically & algorithmically, manual edits consider certain pages or search queries to be “unequal,” meaning they receive special treatment (we can still talk about algorithms, but these algorithms are peppered with data):
In previous examples, we can see that while we can’t always tell if manual removals and such were fair, we can always argue that at least the search engine creators deemed them fair. E.g. removing spam sites makes the search engine return more relevant results on top. However, there’s another type of manual edit: the one where even the search engineers agree that results are made worse. I’m thinking of the thing we stop calling “filter” and start calling “censorship.”
For example, when Google agreed to self-censor German search results based on a manual blacklist of sites (e.g. those containing Neo-Nazi material), they did so voluntarily, but one might argue they didn’t really like to do that. They made the decision to react on semi-official German regulations, possibly trying to prevent further, stronger censorship, or at least trying to not stay out of the German market on principle. This was a very clear clash with Google’s principles – you just had to read their help files at the time, where they said they don’t censor*. This was also making results, taken on their own, more irrelevant; clearly entering stormfront.org and getting no results (on Google.de) is worse than getting the actual Stormfront.org site as result (on Google.com), at least measured by relevance.
Why might there be a potentially larger “overall relevance” for search results on this level? Well, for example when Google would leave the German market on principle, as they’re opposing censorship at least by their old standards, they might leave Germans with what they may deem less relevant results**. Yeah, Yahoo might be up to par with Google relevance, but I bet Google engineers think differently – it’s sort of their job to do so. So from their unique subjective perspective, any market without Google is a market with less relevant search results***, even when that market may have other search engines available****.
Well, and then there’s the point when search engine creators do not even have results relevancy as top priority, mostly to replace them with money-makin’ priorities – we could title this level “plain vanilla evil” or “let’s care about the money instead of the user"***** or “Dilbert cartoon boss doing random stuff.” For example:
*To quote from an official help entry that in the meantime has been changed, but was active for a long time: “Google does not censor results for any search term. The order and content of our results are completely automated; we do not manipulate our search results by hand. We believe strongly in allowing the democracy of the web to determine the inclusion and ranking of sites in our search results.” At the time, Google also didn’t always disclose censorship in their German search results.
**It should be noted that a principled withdrawal from a country has the potential effect of escalating a conflict between that country’s population vs the censorship laws they’re governed by, which in the end could result in search engines being allowed to display uncensored results, thus increasing overall relevancy... but that’s a matter of debate and speculation. I’d argue that if e.g. Google in Germany would withdraw due to self-censorship objections, considering their 90%+ market share in Germany, they might cause more than just a public outcry – they might cause subtle but important changes in German politics and laws.
***Quote Google’s statement from 2006 on their self-censored Google.cn: “We ultimately reached our decision by asking ourselves which course would most effectively further Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally useful and accessible. Or, put simply: how can we provide the greatest access to information to the greatest number of people?
Filtering our search results clearly compromises our mission. Failing to offer Google search at all to a fifth of the world’s population, however, does so far more severely.”
****This issue became more visible in early 2006 with Google’s self-censored Chinese search engine, because these “potentially more relevant” results censorship partly strengthens a repressive regime and its human rights violations. There are some important parts adding complexity to this specific case of Google.cn; for instance, Google.com was already 90% accessible from within China (by Google’s own records), so you might argue they didn’t even try to increase relevance but only speed. Still, there’s at least a theoretical issue where search engine creators may feel they’ll either be blocked significantly, or are “forced” to agree to make their results less relevant (by their own standards).
*****Of course, it may be an even smarter decision if all you want to do is make money to do care about the user first (just look at Google’s success partly based on their user-centric interfaces), but that’s another issue.
>> More posts | <urn:uuid:ff82aabc-400a-4864-b996-287bfe6a9f56> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2006-06-28-n67.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95148 | 1,413 | 1.789063 | 2 |
Welcome to the second installment of my blog series “True Teen Stories” featuring non-fiction essays from teen writers. For the record, I’d just like to say how impressed I am by the work I’ve received thus far. One of the greatest challenges for new writers is the ability to write honestly. That doesn’t mean every word the author chooses must in fact be the definitive truth, only that it represents their truth (or, in fiction, their character’s truth).
Today’s story, “Glass Houses and Shattered Bonds,” written by fifteen-year-old Emily T., does just that—detailing the unraveling of a friendship without cynicism or pretense. When I first read Emily’s story, I was struck by how familiar it felt to me, and to the friendship break-up I had back in high school. Sadly, I think it’s probably familiar for many girls. But by articulating those feelings in writing, Emily might just be able to get through this difficult situation with more clarity, instead of, say, waiting 20 years to write about it in a YA novel. (In case you didn’t know, REUNITED is about a friendship break-up.)
Emily T., age 15, is an aspiring writer from Staffordshire, England. In addition to writing, her interests include fashion design and punk rock music.
Glass Houses and Shattered Bonds
By Emily T., age 15
At the very beginning of primary school, I had one best friend, Amelia. Amelia is my oldest friend and vice versa, and though we shared a strong bond of friendship, near the end of primary school this friendship grew to include identical twins Lana and Elena. The four of us were inseparable, but the problem (according to Lana and Elena), started during our first year of high school when another new friend, Sandra, joined our group.
It all happened because of my fifteenth birthday party. As we all know birthdays are on a set date, they don’t just randomly change with each coming year. So as a normal person would do, I arranged for my party to be on the weekend of my birthday, (as my birthday unfortunately usually falls in the middle of the school term). I invited all my friends two weeks before the intended party and all was well… up until one week before my party, when Lana and Elena informed me that they had been invited to another party a month before I had told them the arrangements for mine.
Which was fine, if they’d been invited to that one first and had said yes to it, then that was fine I couldn’t just expect them to change their arrangements because that wouldn’t be fair on them. But of course, it did upset me slightly, considering they had known me for so long and had been to every one of my parties and as I’ve said before, birthdays don’t change. So not wanting to have a party without them, I graciously changed my arrangements for them, putting my entire family out, as we were supposed to be going away for weekend. But not wanting to be alone on the weekend of my birthday, I invited Amelia and Sandra over to my house for a sleepover as they weren’t going to this other party and would be doing nothing either.
Next thing I know, Elena is standing behind me saying that she and Lana will still be able to come on the original date and asking when to drop their stuff around. Usually, I wouldn’t have cared, but considering it felt like they were ditching my arrangements for someone else’s, I didn’t think it was right for them to just expect to be invited to my consolation do. So for the first time ever, I stood up for myself and said that the actual party was next week, but there was no point them coming to the sleepover as they would have missed most of it anyway by the time they got there.
This, of course, caused world war three amongst the group. They weren’t talking to me and I wasn’t talking to them. The entire week before my birthday I walked home ranting to Sandra, who patiently listened to me before we parted ways. But as soon as I was alone the tears came. I spent the entire week before my birthday feeling miserable.
Two days before my birthday, they said they wouldn’t be coming to my party because it would be too awkward between us, I of course tried to convince them otherwise but they weren’t having it, they even got their mum involved in the text conversation, painting them as the victim. This brought the total number of people in the text conversation to three against one. At this point, I could too have got my mum involved, but considering she gets paid to argue it would have been the kiss of death for the friendship. So I was outnumbered and I ended up apologizing for something that was completely irrelevant to argument and making up with them. Or so I thought…
However during the next day of school, I was sitting between them in one of our classes and none of us were talking; I was having a hard time stopping myself from breaking down into tears. Fortunately, I had to leave the room to do a job for the teacher but Elena was asked to come too. Once outside of the room, I broke down into tears and said, ‘I thought we’d sorted this out.
To which her reply was; “Why are you crying?” asked in a tone which said she couldn’t have cared less; which to me said if she really didn’t know then maybe it wasn’t worth fixing.
It was such a stupid argument, but I’d like to think it changed me for the better. Throughout this time I found out who my real friends were.
I’d like to think things got better between us from there, and for a while, they did. Until one day Lana ran off crying and Amelia went to comfort her, leaving me, Sandra, and Elena sitting awkwardly together.
Feeling fed up with the on-going argument, I arranged to meet Elena and Lana alone one day in town to discuss where we were as friends.
After spending an hour and a half going round in circles, I learned that they blamed Sandra for the friendship falling apart and wanted it to go back to just us four. Me, Amelia, Elena and Lana. When it was my turn to speak, they did what they always do and didn’t listen as to what I had to say, instead choosing to talk over me, then walking out on me, claiming they felt as though they’d gotten nowhere. Which effectively they had, because they hadn’t listened to what I was trying to say.
I still speak to Elena and Lana, seeing as they are in all my lessons, but it’s not the same. They’re not the same. I partly agreed with them when they said they wanted to go back to how it was in primary school, just not the part without Sandra. If they could go back to being their primary school selves, not repeatedly snapping at me, making me think I have to be careful with what I say when I’m with them; not being so paranoid as to what I do and who with; and less spiteful e.g. not talking to me in attempt to show me how they feel; as I can say for fact I would never do that to them. Then maybe they may be more fun to hang around with. | <urn:uuid:fd098542-1e63-4b74-a1cc-d9fefd66a29d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hilarywgraham.wordpress.com/2012/01/06/459/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.986538 | 1,580 | 1.539063 | 2 |
Ben Bernanke is definitely trying hard to overtake Arthur Burns and G. William Miller (those wonderful guys who helped give us the 1970s) as the worst Fed Chairman of the modern era. But unlike Burns and Miller, who “earned” their poor reputations with bad monetary policy, Bernanke is trying to cement his place in history by being a stooge for the big-government policies of the Washington establishment (he also is getting lots of criticism for QE2 and other monetary policy actions, but let’s give Bernanke the benefit of the doubt and assume all those decisions will somehow work out for the best).
Bernanke frequently pontificates about the supposed horrors of deficits and debt (I write “supposed” because the real problem is spending, with red ink being a symptom of a government that is far too large). Yet he endorsed Obama’s failed stimulus. He’s also asserted that reducing the burden of government spending would hurt the economy. And he was an avid supporter of the TARP bailout.
Now he’s trying to discourage GOPers from seeking budgetary savings as part of a proposed increase in the debt limit. Here’s a blurb from the AP report.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday urged Republicans to support raising the nation’s borrowing limit. He said threatening to block the increase to gain deeper federal spending cuts could backfire and worsen the economy. Even a short delay in making payments on the nation’s debt would cause severe disruptions in financial markets, damage the dollar and raise serious doubts about the nation’s creditworthiness, Bernanke said.
By the way, I’ve previously debunked Bernanke’s demagoguery about disrupted financial markets. The federal government this year will collect 10 times as much revenue as needed to service the national debt.
Let’s close with a thought experiment. What do you think Bernanke would say if Senate Republicans got suckered into a tax increase and that tax hike was attached to a debt limit, but House GOPers were refusing to go along? It’s just a guess, of course, but I’m quite confident that Bernanke would completely reverse his position about the debt limit and suddenly say something like “it is critical to include such a measure to demonstrate seriousness about fixing the fiscal mess in DC.”
What it would actually demonstrate, though, is that Bernanke is a tool for big government. | <urn:uuid:4141623a-ca2b-436f-a83a-ed384c0818bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/ben-bernanke-political-hack-for-big-government/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961533 | 511 | 1.507813 | 2 |
People like reinbeau, who have the beds?
I just wanted to know do you leave the original top soil on and till in additives or a soil mix?
Or do you remove it and use all bedding mix?
OR, do you put the bedding soil in on top of the existing top soil with out tilling the original?
Now, being raised on a farm and have had a garden nearly every year from the time I could carry a garden tool, you would think that I should not have to ask such a tough question.
I have several square foot and gardening by the yard tapes.
I never did under stand the part where they just scraped the weeds off then just added soil mix with out doing something else. Like tilling before and/or tilling it into the existing soil.
reinbeau, If I made beds with sides no higher than yours, I would prefer to till 8 to 12 inches deep before adding the soil mix, then mix it in with the existing soil.
Yours is picture book perfect.
I also like your compost bins.
Another point I would like to bring up.
I let my back garden spot grow over and it is going to take me a year or two to get it going again.
That leaves me with my front spot. Which is near my "bored" well. it is only 57 ft deep but has "even during these few years of drought" has maintained 18 to 20 ft of water. I can pump it to with in 5 ft of the bottom and it will recover over night.
I cannot use just any kind of material for my borders or just any kind of fertilizer on this spot.
This means I cannot use treated boards and will have to use untreated boards or cement blocks.
If you look in the top left of this pic. you will see the fence post around my garden. My well is just out of the picture to the left. :)doak | <urn:uuid:50df5ac8-4fa9-46d0-94aa-02e6683cbf8c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=23138.0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00016-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968983 | 404 | 1.523438 | 2 |
BONITA SPRINGS — Bonita Springs resident Bill Stauffer believes his city is suffering from an identity problem.
Its name doesn’t represent the beautiful beaches that Bonita Springs has to offer and the city could be losing business because of it, Stauffer said.
Stauffer is proposing to rename the city Bonita Beach and will make his pitch to the Bonita Springs City Council at 9 a.m. Wednesday.
The 76-year-old who has lived in the city’s Spanish Wells subdivision for nine years, believes the name change could attract more tourists, clarify Bonita’s proximity to the beach and potentially increase property values. All of that would mean more money for the city.
“Not only are there opportunities for gain for our city, but, because of our location between Lovers Key State Park and Collier County’s Barefoot Beach Park, an argument can be made for increased tourism and property values for Southwest Florida,” ,” Stauffer said.
In some ways, members of the Lee County Tourism Bureau, whose brand is “The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel,” agree.
“We promote various assets of the community by (doing) very in depth research in terms of visitors to Lee County,” said Lee Rose Communications Manager of Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau. “That research, taken over years and years, (has found) Lee County’s main attraction is the beaches. Hence, we have that in our brand.”
Though a name-change proposal isn’t anything new for Bonita Springs, according to Byron Liles of the Liles Hotel family, changing the name to Bonita Beach is “completely ridiculous,” he said.
Bonita Springs was originally called Survey after government surveyors in a remote part of Southwest Florida pitched a camp near a spring that was believed to have healing abilities. Once the crew left, the area’s name became Survey.
For Liles, the name change in 1915 from Survey, a name that lacked sales appeal, to Bonita Springs — aptly named for the abundant springs (which have since dried) — was enough.
At that time Bonita Springs, now incorporated to include the beach areas, was located six miles from the beach. Therefore, naming it a beach town would be a misnomer and demeaning to the community’s history, Liles said.
“Well we’re Bonita springs. Bonita beach is a subsidiary, not the place. Been trying this for as long as I can remember, ” Liles said. “There’s just a few residents (on the beach), very well to do residents apparently. Look at homes on the beach. They certainly shouldn’t change the name of our community.”
Pat McCourt, a former District 3 Councilman and current candidate for Bonita fire District, is a resident of Seagrape Lane on Little Hickory Island.
“Somebody stole my idea,” McCourt said. “I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
When McCourt first moved into his home on the island 18 years ago, the area was called Bonita Beach, he said. When the city was incorporated in 1999, he believed it should have been called Bonita Beach and not Bonita Springs.
“It’s much more descriptive of the area, and it makes us unique,” McCourt said. “Bonita Springs friends are not going to like that, but that’s the way I feel.”
McCourt’s argument aligns with another of Stauffer’s points: Bonita Springs doesn’t mean anything outside of Florida. Bonita Beach has an appeal that could allow for property values to increase.
But, it’s a trade-off of costs. The change comes at a significant expense to the city. Everything with the name Bonita Springs would have to be changed.
But, more than just labels, the entire city would need to be referred to as Bonita Beach and no longer Bonita Springs.
“Economically alone makes it a non-starter,” said Charlie Strader, President of the Bonita Springs Historical Society “We’re a corporation. We will have to change everything to do with our cities: charters ... all the work, time, effort, not to mention all the businesses and addresses and post offices. Stop to think about it. It’s a non-issue.”
There is also the issue of a referendum. Since the name is established through the city charger, voters would have the ultimate decision.
The City of Naples is going through its own name-change proposal. A suggestion to change the city’s name to Naples on the Gulf could be discussed by the Naples City Council as early as November, according to Bill Moss. If council allows it, the change would have to be approved through a mail-in referendum, which could cost the city nearly $40,000. | <urn:uuid:06beff92-341f-4562-93af-6ab350c77a53> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/oct/14/bonita-springs-name-change-bonita-beach/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962182 | 1,071 | 1.585938 | 2 |
Our (amplifier) expectations... designers and their constraints
Good question. How do we define "first-grade". Indeed, I chose those words carefully.
Originally Posted by ryder
In my opinion, at the core of this issue is the integrity and motivation of the designers. Japanese multinational corporations have shareholders and hence a business agenda which imposes a certain approach to product design. In simple language: pressures are brought to bear on the designer and if he is under the hammer to minimise cost then he cannot simultaneously maximise quality. If he is tasked by management with maximising fuel efficiency then he must give up his personal dream of designing for incredible acceleration. Design is all about the art of compromise. But what compromise? Ones that you'd agree with?
We, the consumer, are not privy to the precise route map that a manufactured products took to market, nor the corners cut, performance trade-offs and (slight? major?) compromises here and there - certainly not after the marketing dept. have put a positive spin on the product.
If the product emanates from a smaller company - Sugden for example - it's possible to actually identify the designer, talk to him and get a feel for his challenges and how he balanced cost v.performance v. ease of manufacture v. size v. long term reliability v. retail price. I believe that the public (and the media) should be far more curious about identifying who the designer really is, what's in his head, what his design brief was, how he thinks he performed; that's why I'm here. In my opinion, you should be able to identify the designer by calling the sales office or emailing the company. If you don't get a satisfactory feeling from that contact then I'd be very cautious. Audio products designed by an anonymous committee just can't satisfy picky audiophiles.
So - to answer your question - I'd say as a general rule, if you can identify and build a bridge to the designer then he has a personal reputation to nurture, and this would most likely lead to a better product, a 'first grade' product. There are many examples of audio amplifiers (and designers) in this category. But, integrity or not, skill or not, ability or not, desire and goals or not, amplifiers are electronic devices that obey fixed universal physical rules: there is very, very little magic that even the most highly talented and motivated designer can apply without risking amplifier breakdown, unreliability, warranty claims, radio interference, whistles, hums and buzzes. The circuit design parameters have to fall within a very tightly controlled window in the interests of stability and reliability. Tizzy, neurotic, highly strung amplifier designs that just might have a minor sonic advantage are not marketable because the consumer will not tolerate the inconvenience and cost of random breakdowns (possibly destroying the amp and speakers) for a minor performance advantage. So the amplifier designer is highly constrained in what he can actually do with his circuit design* if he is to minimise after-care and stay in business.
Sadly - realistically - mechanical systems including microphones, turntables, gear boxes, car suspensions, car engines, rockets and loudspeakers are hideously complex in comparison with electronic systems, which is why there are so many variants available to the customer - and not one of them perfect.
* About 20 years ago a point was reached where all amplifier design concepts had been explored and those 'mainstream' designs which proved to be reliable were identified. No radically new approaches are possible with current technology unless the consumer is willing to tolerate random breakdowns and amp/speaker destruction. It's exactly the same situation with racehorses - highly strung champions burn themselves out but are thrilling on the day.
Alan A. Shaw
Harbeth Audio UK | <urn:uuid:44b8ef76-be9b-4c54-a388-7fc6b980a2e7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.harbeth.co.uk/usergroup/showthread.php?554-Ultimate-Integrated-Amp-For-Compact-7ES-3-and-SHL-5&p=5026 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960976 | 782 | 1.515625 | 2 |
The Latest War on Single Moms
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The United States offers the worst support structure for single parents among all comparable countries — and if anything like House Speaker John Boehner’s Plan B carries the day, it’s about to get worse.
Republicans used to love the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit, because they incentivized paid labor and used the tax code instead of cash assistance or programs to help low-income parents, most visibly single mothers. But that was before the cry against the 47 percent, a substantial portion of whom didn’t pay taxes because of such credits.
In the Washington Post, Jamelle Bouie points to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities showing that the two tax credits for low-income families will be slashed under Plan B: “A mother with two children who works full time at the minimum wage of $7.25 and earns $14,500 a year would lose $1,560 of her Child Tax Credit, which would plummet from $1,725 to $165.”
This comes, of course, a few months after the party’s nominee answered a question about gun violence by complaining about single mothers, and about a year after the supposed intellectual force of the party, Newt Gingrich, offered the following plan for reducing child poverty: employing young children as janitors at school. For a substantial amount of time in between, the leading candidate among Republican primary voters, Rick Santorum, was the guy who, as a Senate candidate in 1994, had suggested forced paternity tests for welfare recipients and said single mothers were “breeding criminals.” He added then, “We are seeing it. We are seeing the fabric of this country fall apart, and it’s falling apart because of single moms.”
It’s excellent timing, then, for Legal Momentum to release a comprehensive report comparing the U.S.’ policies on single-parent families (which most often means single mothers) and their children, with those of other countries. Republicans love to talk about the negative outcomes documented among such children, but their proposed solution tends to be rhetoric about how women should just get married or — more recently — trying to cut the scant benefits that are keeping the poorest of these families afloat, from Head Start to food stamps to the aforementioned tax credits.
This is usually when someone brings up Sweden. But it’s not just Sweden: The comparison countries include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. When put in this relatively diverse and similarly wealthy company, the authors write, “We find that U.S. single-parent families are the worst off. They have the highest poverty rate. They have the highest rate of no health care coverage. They face the stingiest income support system. They lack the paid-time-off-from-work entitlements that in comparison countries make it easier for single parents to balance caregiving and job holding. They must wait longer than single parents in comparison countries for early childhood education to begin. They have a low rate of child support receipt.”
Partly as a result of “welfare reform” policies, they note, “U.S. single parents have both above average employment rates,” including, often, full-time and year-round work, “and above average poverty rates.” How does that happen? Single mothers pushed into the workforce disproportionately end up in low-wage jobs, and a diminishing pool of them at that. (Over 80 percent of single parents in the U.S. are single mothers, less than half of whom have never been married.) The recession’s lasting impacts have meant a decline in employment rates for single mothers — from 73 percent in 2007 to 66 percent in 2011 — even as the last remaining benefits are being haggled down in Congress. Single mothers also tend to make substantially less than single or married men with the same education, thanks to discrimination, occupational segregation and the historic devaluing of jobs women tend to do. | <urn:uuid:bba01342-4aa3-4702-a046-18ffb5b96525> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/latest-war-single-moms | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966303 | 866 | 1.671875 | 2 |
|Interstate 795 in Maryland|
I-795 is the Northwest Expressway and it runs from the I-695 Baltimore Beltway, to west of Reisterstown, Md. It was built as a 10.8 mile bypass of MD-140 Reisterstown Pike.
The 6 mile portion from I-695 to west of Owings Mills Blvd. has six lanes and opened to Owings Mills Blvd. about 1984. It was developed as an Interstate highway. It was built specifically to accommodate the Baltimore Metro rapid rail extension to Owings Mills, in the median. The Metro was built as a separate project and opened in 1987. The remaining 4.8 miles has four lanes, and was opened in 1986. It was developed as a primary road, MD-140. When it opened, it was designated as I-795.
At one time, the Northwest Expressway was planned to extend inside the Beltway and connect to Wabash Avenue in Baltimore. That was cancelled in the mid-to-late 1970s, and the I-795 designation and funding was not planned for that section.
See Kurumi'sKurumi: Interstate 795 for I-795 in Maryland.
Copyright © 1997-2005 by Scott Kozel. All rights reserved. Reproduction, reuse, or distribution without permission is prohibited.
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By Scott M. Kozel, Roads to the Future
(Created 8-14-1997, converted 4-16-2005) | <urn:uuid:101d4453-8172-46a5-9f04-c89010ade3b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.roadstothefuture.com/I795_MD.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974082 | 303 | 1.609375 | 2 |
A central Florida church wants to open their doors to help homeless families, but some neighbors are saying "not in our backyard."
Many neighbors said they are worried that Grace Fellowship Church's act of kindness could put their safety in jeopardy.
The Rockledge church wants the city to allow mixed-use at two homes it owns along Murrell Road just east of I-95.
Residents packed a Rockledge Planning Commission meeting Tuesday night to speak out about plans to allow transitional housing for homeless people in what has been a residential area.
"Well, if this did result in more crime in neighborhoods, I'd be one of the first to say this is done," said Grace Fellowship Pastor Mike Bynum. "We would stop it."
Bynum said the number of homeless families in Brevard County has skyrocketed during the recession. He said there are currently about 1,000 homeless children enrolled in Brevard County Schools.
To combat the problem, Grace Fellowship wants to turn one home on Murrell Road into temporary housing for homeless families. Another home next door would be used for other church functions and to assist the families during business hours.
For years, the property was zoned rural residential, but it was recently annexed into the city and the church now wants it classified as mixed-use.
"Most facilities in the county have places for women and children, and then the men are in another location," said Bynum. "At this time of crisis, we need to keep the families together."
Up to five homeless families-- with no more than 14 people total-- would be allowed to live in the home for one week, once every three months.
The rest of the time, the house would be used for other church activities.
Grace Fellowship Church is part of a larger non-profit organization, Family Promise of Brevard, which helps homeless families. There are about a dozen churches that would host homeless families for one week, allowing them to cycle through until they're able to get back on their feet.
People living near the Murrell Road homes, however, are concerned allowing the zoning change will lead to higher crime and lower property values.
"We want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem," said Bynum. "If it did turn that way, we'd shut it down immediately."
The measure allowing mixed use passed the Rockledge Planning Commission 8-2. It will now go before the full Rockledge city council on Feb. 20. | <urn:uuid:2c616c26-3ee3-4753-8197-3900c83906e8> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.clickorlando.com/news/Residents-speak-out-about-church-s-plans-to-help-homeless/-/1637132/18425734/-/jjrownz/-/index.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979131 | 510 | 1.523438 | 2 |
More Americans approve than disapprove of the Affordable Care Act, a new poll from Pew Research Center shows.
The poll, released Thursday, shows that 47 percent of respondents approve of the legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, while 43 percent disapprove. That marks only the second time since April 2010 — when Pew started tracking support for the law — that approval of the Affordable Care Act is above water.
The first time occurred in March of this year, when Pew found that 47 percent of respondents approved the health care overhaul, compared with 45 percent who disapproved. Thursday's poll shows that there has been movement in public opinion of "Obamacare" over the last month. In Pew's June survey, 43 percent approved of the law, while 48 percent disapproved.
The PollTracker Average currently shows a sharp divide in support for the Affordable Care Act. | <urn:uuid:158f1d11-cb07-4518-8e78-e49b30239dd0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/pew-poll-public-approval-of-obamacare-above-water | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957022 | 178 | 1.578125 | 2 |
Mark 10: 17-27
Once again, Lord, I come to you to pray. Even though I cannot see you, I trust that you are present and want very much to instruct me in your teachings. In the same way you demonstrate your love for me by spending this time with me, I want to express my love for you by dedicating this time to you with a spirit of faith, confidence and attention. Here I am, Lord, to listen to you and respond with love.
Lord, help me to be detached from the goods of this world so I can follow you more closely.
1. God Is Good:
The rich young man recognized Christ’s goodness. He kneels down before him knowing that Jesus possesses something that he does not have. What is it? The spirit of unconditional love. Christ leads us out of ourselves and asks us to trust him more. And so, Pope Benedict encourages us, “I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life” (Homily, April 24, 2005).
2. Looking at the Good Side of Things:
It is easy to dwell on the cost of something. The young man’s face falls because he looks more at the cost than at the reward. The price is something that he would feel now, while the reward is something that will come later. How often in life do we experience this truth! The world we live in seeks instant gratification without wanting to pay the price. Rather than concentrating on the cost, we should focus on the benefits promised by God. We will discover that the cost is small and the benefits last forever. Do I have spiritual endurance? Am I am able to wait for the Lord and patiently invest in eternal goods now?
Saint Paul tells us that nothing can outweigh the knowledge of Christ Jesus. But in this man’s case, he had allowed something else to outweigh Christ. Comfort, security and material things beat the invitation of Christ to be perfect. Attachments lead to sadness; there is no room for God in a heart that is already full of the things of this world. Only detachment leads to true joy. God gives himself to the one who seeks him without any strings attached.
Conversation with Christ:
Lord Jesus, help me to live a life of freedom.
Help me to recognize your goodness.
May my faith always see the good side of things,
seeing all in my life as an opportunity to love you.
I want to be attached to you and detached completely from my sinfulness.
I will pick one thing that I can detach myself from today.
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Write a comment on this article| | <urn:uuid:d9777076-a019-45c2-931e-4c39836e0f3e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://catholic.net/index.php?option=dedestaca&id=7852&grupo=Liturgy%20%20Devotions&canal=Daily%20Meditations | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941224 | 674 | 1.71875 | 2 |
NOAA AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS CENTER HONORED FOR EXCEPTIONAL HURRICANE WORK
Nov. 9, 2004 ó Hurricane season is quickly coming to a close, but millions of Americans will not soon forget the parade of storms that came crashing into the U.S. mainland, as well as a number of other nations in the path of the powerful and deadly storms with names like Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. The state of Florida was hit four times in a matter of weeks. During the intense hurricane activity, the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center in Tampa, Fla., had the NOAA hurricane hunters constantly flying into the storms and keeping NOAA personnel literally in the air for days at a time. (Click NOAA image for larger view of NOAA Lockheed WP-3D Orion and Gulfstream IV-SP hurricane hunter aircraft in flight a couple of years ago. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)
There were a staggering number of day and night aircraft missions into major hurricanes, flown for numerous NOAA interests, all of them critical to the coastal residents of the United States, and all without a single mishap or accident. Safety always came first, even in the eyewall of Hurricane Ivan, a Cateory 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale. With the constant pace of all three heavy aircraft, and with so many storms threatening the AOC employees' homes and families, one might have expected more frayed tempers and lost focus. It was just the opposite. NOAA personnel had sharp eye-on-the-ball awareness that meant increased vigilance, which had to be the norm. It was that way from the first mission into Tropical Depression 2 to the last into Hurricane Jeanne. The dedication, awareness, and effectiveness of AOC and its employees occurred well before any hurricanes were on the horizon and later bore wonderful fruit in the pace of battle.
Capt. Bob Maxson, of the NOAA Corps, an aircraft commander of the NOAA Gulfstream-IV hurricane surveillance jet as well as AOC chief, was in the thick of things during that hectic period. Not only did he orchestrate the evacuation of aircraft and personnel from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., the base during Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, he flew a record-breaking six consecutive nighttime missions (the previous record was three) on the G-IV during Hurricane Ivan, while also overseeing AOC's daytime evacuation. This included Secretary of Commerce Don Evans' and Deputy Secretary Ted Kassinger's (separate) visits to AOC and subsequent rides aboard P-3 hurricane hunter flights into Ivan.
The unrelenting pace of the storms required back-to-back, day and night flights, forcing the P-3 and G-IV flight crews into a grueling schedule. Maintenance personnel were constantly vigilant on the ground and in flight, patching leading edges of the aircraft after each turbulent flight and keeping mechanical systems up and running safely. When all was said and done, NOAA aircraft flew 65 missions to support tracking of several major storms, including Tropical Storm Bonnie and U.S. landfalling hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne in support of hurricane surveillance, reconnaissance and research. More than 475 flight hours were logged, 100,000 nautical miles of track lines flown, and 1,200 dropsondes launched into storms to take meteorological observations. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Hurricane Ivan taken at 1:45 p.m. ET on Sept. 12, 2004. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)
Twenty-four year veteran meteorologist and P-3 and G-IV flight director Jack Parrish, who currently is program manager of the G-IV, flew continually aboard the G-IV during Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricanes Charley, Frances and part of Ivan, and was able to finish qualifying a newly trained flight director for the G-IV. The G-IV flies in the steering currents at the edges of a hurricane, and its data have improved hurricane landfall forecasts by up to 25 percent—potentially saving lives as well as millions of dollars in evacuation costs. During Hurricane Ivan, Parrish had to switch from the G-IV to a P-3 as flight director—while still coordinating G-IV flights—to substitute for an ill colleague. It had been several years since he'd been flight director of a P-3, which is far more nerve wracking than the G-IV as the P-3 flies directly into the eyewall.
"With only a day's notice, I was switched over to the P-3 and into a Category 5 hurricane we went," said Parrish. "It was the worst eyewall I'd seen this season—an absolute ring of fire on radar, and we really had to watch ourselves. It was really rough on the airplane." (Click NOAA image for larger view of NOAA meteorologist and P-3 and G-IV flight director Jack Parrish (middle) and NOAA P-3 Systems Crew Chief Sean McMillan (left) briefing Commerce Secretary Donald Evans aboard a NOAA P-3 hurricane hunter aircraft. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)
Parrish flew four straight days in Ivan and then into Jeanne as flight director, and it was the worst possible time for him. His wife, suffering from cancer, was undergoing chemotherapy and was extremely weak, yet had to care for their kids and deal with lost power and other fallout from the storms on her own. Parrish said, "This one time, if NOAA could have offered me anything, I would have taken it, but they had no choice. It's what we all have to do together out there. Sometimes we can't take care of our own people when we're busy taking care of everyone else."
The upside, Parrish said, to the number of flights was the ability to qualify more people as hurricane flight directors and pilots. Paul Flaherty, a G-IV flight director, was trained and completed his P-3 qualification while flying with Parrish in Hurricane Jeanne. Lt. Mike Silah, NOAA Corps, also got in his requisite number of hurricane flights, and qualified to be a P-3 aircraft commander during Frances. His first solo flight was into Ivan, where he flew with Parrish.
According to Silah, "This is a time of year we all look forward to. It was hard this year because Florida took a toll, but exciting because the flights really mattered. The perfect storm for us would be a storm that offers the best research opportunities but that doesn't threaten land in any way. Every time a storm was headed for Tampa, we headed for New Orleans. My wife got sick of having to move the lawn furniture into the garage by herself."
Silah flew into Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. "The high point was the end," he said. "All of us were pretty tired by then. The step frequency radiometer flights allowed us to measure real-time surface winds, and this year it worked exceptionally well. Our technicians really did a fantastic job. We were able to map the wind field. That was a direct benefit to the people where the hurricane made landfall. For me that was the highlight because it was some of the more important information we got this year."
According to Silah, "This year we needed everyone to step up, and no one did that better than Jack Parrish. I just can't say enough about Jack and hope that people realize how important he was to this season. You could not tell on the airplane that Jack had been away from the P-3 for a while and that he was dealing with all these things on the ground. I can't say enough about his contribution this year. It was easy for me to do what I had to do, knowing he was going to sit there and keep us out of trouble. He was carrying a great load personally, and his ability to put that aside for six weeks was really an inspiration to us."
Anyone who has traveled six non-stop hours coast to coast can imagine the discomfort of flying nearly 150 turbulent mission hours in less than a month. Paul Flaherty did just that as flight director aboard both the G-IV and the P-3. Because of the manpower shortage in flight directors, he was called back to Tampa from a project in New England to fly a G-IV mission around Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley, only to head back to New England the next morning. His neighbors pitched in and took care of his house during Charley while he was away. He returned to Tampa to fly during the next three hurricanes and spent 17 of 19 days in the air. He found it nearly impossible to keep up with his graduate school work and didn't meet his new next-door neighbor until many weeks had passed. (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Hurricane Charley taken at 1:45 p.m. EDT on Aug. 13, 2004. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)
"There's an uneasy feeling when you're taking off out of MacDill Air Force Base and looking down on your neighborhood, knowing there's a hurricane coming," he said. "While you know you'll be landing somewhere else, you can't help but worry about your family, house, belongings, friends, pets and neighbors, but we know we're doing this for the right reasons. We can help a lot more people from the air."
Those at AOC on the ground couldn't help but worry about the safety of their colleagues in flight as well as their homes and families. Lori Bast, who handles public affairs for AOC, is married to Greg Bast, a P-3 flight engineer. "It was very stressful because my husband was flying and we have a house and three dogs in Safety Harbor and I'm here at work making sure media are getting on airplanes. I was worried about Greg, but he said they were safer up there than we were on the ground, and he was worried sick about me. Greg was in Hurricane Andrew and lost his house. I never lost anything so I didn't know what to expect. So I prayed a lot."
Mark Rogers is an avionics technician who flew on a P-3 through Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. With a house on the Alafaya River, he and his family were among those of AOC most likely to suffer property damage from flooding after the hurricanes. "Frances was the big one," Rogers said. "We got one of the biggest floods I've ever seen. I live in a stilt home so it didn't get my house, but I built a room underneath that got whacked pretty good. I had about 10 feet of water in my yard. I pulled my boat up to the stairs and used it to get around. The flood lasted a week, which is pretty unusual."
Rogers sent his wife and 17-month old baby to Colorado after Frances and then to Jacksonville, Fla., after Jeanne. "It's a little hard to stay focused on the job at hand when you have personal interest in what's going on below. You have to put it aside and do your job...and complain about it when you land," he said. "One thing struck home this time. Though I've flown through so many storms, it's never had quite the personal impact because you're flying in storms over different countries and states. It's different when the storm is going over your own house, and it adds more importance to your job. You realize how dangerous these storms are and the pain and suffering they cause. Instead of seeing it from afar, you experience it firsthand. We were luckier than some people I know." (Click NOAA satellite image for larger view of Hurricane Frances taken at 11:26 a.m. ET on Sept. 5, 2004. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)
from the NOAA Hurricane Research
Division who were flying on the aircraft
Dunion's baby arrived six weeks early, shortly after his G-IV flights into Tropical Storm Bonnie and the very day of Hurricane Charley's landfall in Florida. Fortunately he was on the ground when the call came to take his wife to the hospital. He spent most of Hurricane Frances at the NOAA National Hurricane Center, spending long days in front of the computer and sleepless nights with his newborn. By the time Ivan arrived, he was back in the air.
"I agreed to fly into Ivan when it was south of Cuba, and my wife was supportive of it. My only stipulation was that if it came close to home, I'd have to rotate out and go home. When Ivan started to get closer, it was nerve wracking because I knew I'd have to get to Tampa. I beat the storm by about a day and got home in time to get the house ready. My wife handled it very well. The one thing I had in my corner is that she's always wanted to fly. She's nervous when I go out but definitely supports it."
Dunion's first hurricane flight was in 1997, during Hurricane Erika. Is it providence that he named his daughter Erika and that she was born in Florida on the day Hurricane Charley made landfall?
Jim McFadden, AOC's program manager for heavy aircraft, is responsible for coordinating all hurricane aircraft activities with the NOAA Hurricane Center, Hurricane Research Division scientists, Air Force, FAA and other agencies. He has been with NOAA and its predecessor agency for more than 40 years, and he's pretty much seen it all. He said that "In terms of deploying to different locations and flying hurricanes, this was the busiest time we've had in my career within a short period of time."
Deploying from other locations, such as Barbados, requires that more arrangements be made and greater efforts be undertaken. The P-3 aircraft had to deploy from New Orleans during Frances and didn't get a chance to return to Tampa before Ivan came along. "In the early stages, Miami was in the landfall forecast, and my wife was in Miami and couldn't get around because she was waiting for knee replacement surgery. I had to hotfoot it back to put shutters up, and it was like a three-ring circus during that period." From there McFadden went with the plane to St. Croix, where it deployed into Ivan.
"It was a monumental effort by everybody at AOC and the NOAA Hurricane Center," McFadden said. "Those folks at NHC are just something else. Max Mayfield and his forecasters are some of the nicest and sharpest people I've ever met in my life. The public should be happy to have them there. They do a terrific job."
McFadden celebrated a major career milestone during Hurricane Ivan. He made his 500th hurricane penetration since his first in 1967 through Hurricane Inez. The crews of both P-3s wrangled over the honor of taking him on the flight, and N43RF, otherwise known as "Miss Piggy," won out. (Click NOAA National Weather Service Mobile, Ala., Doppler radar image for larger view of Hurricane Ivan coming ashore taken at 12:52 a.m. ET on Sept. 16, 2004. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)
"There were lots of good friends on that flight, and it was a wonderful experience," McFadden said. "It's the most interesting season I've had, and you won't get any arguments on that from anyone else."
McFadden was quick to add, however, that, "The hurricane flights are what draw attention to AOC, but with all the airplanes and people engaged in other projects of NOAA, hurricanes are only one small part of AOC's operation. All the hard work others do is so important—right whale surveys, snow and coastal surveys, and post-hurricane work, for example. Some of the planes did post hurricane flights with cameras and sensors on the airplanes. Those projects get lost in the mix. You hear about guys going into storms and that's where most of our press comes from. But during the evacuations, everybody was there and pitching in. It was a wonderful experience to see the camaraderie and how well people worked together. It was great."
NOAA last week celebrated a changing of the guard at the Aircraft Operations Center in Tampa, Fla. Capt. Stephen Kozak, NOAA Corps, relieved Capt. Bob Maxson, NOAA Corps, as commanding officer during a formal change of command ceremony that included retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA Administrator, two NOAA rear admirals and the director of the NOAA Hurricane Center. The ceremony provided an opportunity to pay tribute to center personnel and their outgoing leader for their professionalism, dedication and sacrifices made during the extremely arduous 2004 hurricane season. (Click NOAA image for larger view of change of command ceremony at the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center in Tampa, Fla., which took place November 1. Pictured left to right are retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA Administrator, NOAA Corps Admirals Sam De Bow and Richard Behn, and Capt. Stephen Kozak, NOAA Corps, who relieved Capt. Bob Maxson, NOAA Corps, as commanding officer of the AOC. Click here for high resolution version, which is a large file. Please credit “NOAA.”)
The ceremony took place in Hangar 5, home of AOC on MacDill Air Force Base. Maxson, who is retiring, was awarded a NOAA Corps commendation medal for a career of exemplary service, including his tenure as commanding officer at AOC since 2000.
Maxson also accepted on behalf of all AOC personnel a NOAA Unit Citation for their exceptional performance during this year's unusually intense hurricane season, including the four hurricanes that struck Florida and forced AOC to evacuate while still carrying on flights. The citation said in part: "The number and frequency of the storms, not just hurricanes, kept the members of ...the Aircraft Operations Center, in high operational tempo, with an unprecedented amount of activity in August and September.
NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nationís coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Relevant Web Sites | <urn:uuid:3c545b5f-76a5-4a55-a70b-30965822abfd> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/s2336.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.984164 | 3,865 | 1.835938 | 2 |
Known for repeatedly selling gold (actually the IMF has repeatedly attempted to manage gold prices by simply threatening to sell gold at critical times in the gold market) the IMF is reportedly attempting to purchase $2 billion in gold. Apparently even the IMF is looking to get out of dollars on the recent mindless safe-haven bounce.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is planning to purchase more than $2 billion worth of gold on account of rising global risks. The IMF currently holds around 2800 tonnes of gold at various depositories
“The Fund is facing increased credit risk in light of a surge in program lending in the context of the global crisis. While the Fund has a multi-layered framework for managing credit risks, including the strength of its lending policies and its preferred creditor status, there is a need to increase the Fund’s reserves in order to help mitigate the elevated credit risks”, Bloomberg quotes a report by an IMF staff while also adding that a $2.3 billion gold purchase is in the planning…
In such a risky financial environment, the IMF’s move could be considered wise and can be seen as an indication of how much trust the mainstream financial community now has on precious metals like gold. | <urn:uuid:afd3521f-3677-48b6-8fed-9fd94a1fefc4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.silverdoctors.com/after-years-of-selling-it-imf-plans-to-buy-2-billion-in-gold/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959424 | 249 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Peter Kassig is a former U.S. Army Ranger who deployed to Iraq in 2007. I met this 24-year-old Indiana native while taking an entry-level Arabic course in Beirut last year. Since then, Peter has gone on to help Syrian refugees in a Lebanese hospital and recently started his own aid group called Special Emergency Response and Assistance — SERA.
SERA’s main focus right now “is providing Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Syria with medical assistance, medical supplies, and clothing for refugees, and non-perishable food as well as cooking fuel, cooking stoves,” and other supplies, according to its Facebook page. It wants to specialize in bringing in critical supplies to people in particularly dicey circumstances, which is an understatement when used to describe the refugee landscape within Syria.
There are estimates that there are over 2.5 million internally displaced persons within the country, and nearly 500,000 who have left.
The group recently finished its first week-and-half-long operation inside Syria.
With just over $2,000 raised from donations, SERA set out to supply Syrian refugees in the north of the country with blankets. But the group soon realized that was not a pressing need when compared to the increasingly dire food situation. So SERA purchased two cooking stoves, 20 45-kilogram propane fuel tanks, a ton of rice and other food, and loaded it all into a truck its members drove across the border into Syria. They delivered it directly to the people in a Syrian refugee camp, according to Kassig’s debrief on the operation.
“We learned first-hand through this process just how difficult it is to get supplies into Syria,” Kassig wrote, expressing frustration with delays. “Innocent lives were lost in the days we were in the area of Qah Refugee camp attempting to deliver aid.”
While pledging to improve their effectiveness, Kassig wrote that he was inspired by the people in the camp: “I did not meet a single man woman or child who could not muster a smile and a message of strength and hope that was nothing short of earth-shatteringly humbling.”
I asked Kassig a few questions about SERA and why he came back to the Middle East after his time in the Army.
What drew you to Beirut?
Originally, I came to Beirut on my spring break from [Butler] University last spring. I was interested in what I could learn about the Syrian crisis firsthand and what I could do to help and raise awareness about the crisis amongst my peers back at home in the United States. I was also interested in learning more about the Middle East in general from a civilian perspective. I wanted to better understand my role in the conflict in Iraq and its impact on the Middle East in general from a personal perspective and from the perspective of the Arab world. I hoped to gain insight into potential paths forward with regards to developing a new and improved relationship between my generation in both the Arab world and in the West.
What have you been doing during your time in Lebanon?
I started by travelling as much as possible throughout the country and focusing my efforts on volunteering on a small scale in a Palestinian refugee camp in South Beirut. I wanted to try and understand the full scope of the level of need and what role I could potentially have in meeting that need. I also volunteer in a hospital in Tripoli, Lebanon, offering my services as a trauma medic to Syrian refugees who have been wounded in the fighting in Syria. From these experiences I began the development of my NGO, SERA, which stands for Special Emergency Response and Assistance. I divide by time between my personal volunteer efforts, my organizations relief operations, which include the distribution of aid materials such as medical equipment and children’s clothing, as well as food and cooking materials in both Lebanon and Syria.
Tell us about your group, Special Emergency Response and Assistance. What does it do and why did you start it?
I designed Special Emergency Response and Assistance around a belief that there was a lot of room for improvement in terms of how humanitarian organizations interact with and cooperate with the populations that they serve. SERA is focused on the distribution of aid materials to populations with an acute and immediate need. We administer aid in the form of food and cooking materials, medical supplies, and clothing.
The idea is for SERA to supplement the efforts of larger organizations by focusing on delivering aid materials that can do the most good for the most people over the longest period of time possible. I believe that how and why we do what we do is equal in importance to what we do. It’s about showing people that we care, that someone is looking out for those who might be overlooked or who have slipped through the cracks in the system for whatever reason.
I started SERA because I felt that we could fill a niche as an organization that had not been filled. There are a lot of other wonderful organizations out there but we feel that by working directly with the people who are in need at a grassroots level allows for us to establish an invaluable personal relationship that not only allows us to effectively distribute material goods but also allows for an opportunity for an increased level of cooperation and an exchange of ideas between people from diverse backgrounds and experiences and that this enhances our ability to accurately meet needs. The personal connection is key.
Does SERA team up with other organizations to help Syrian refugees?
Yes. Part of our operational philosophy and founding principles is that there should be no wasted energy or redundancy in the operations we carry out. I believe in working as closely with the population in need as is possible. This allows for us to maximize our transparency and effectiveness of our operations based on the respect for and appreciation of the fact that people have the best understanding of what they need and many times, simply lack the means to carry out the ideas that they already have.
What would you like to see SERA doing that it isn’t already and what do you need to make that happen?
I would like to see SERA responding to a variety of needs throughout the region in as short amount of time as possible. Our aim is to be a rapid response organization that can help to fill gaps in supply chains, or assist those who have fallen through the cracks. I would love it for SERA to be able to impact conditions on the ground in places like Lebanon and Syria in a more comprehensive and efficient way.
To make this a reality we need to make sure we maintain our focus and our drive internally, we also need to make sure we maintain an operational tempo that allows for us to have good visibility on the conditions that the populations we serve are facing. Of course we definitely need more funding. Right now we have very little and so our operational scope is very small. We have the ability to serve much larger populations in a really effective way but we need a stronger budget to be able to conduct these sorts of operations.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
That is a good question. I believe that if you are passionate about something and you put the necessary effort into making it work (such as SERA) that it is ultimately up to you how long you can keep it viable. The work speaks for itself to some extent I think. I certainly plan on continuing to try and serve those who are in need for as long as I live.
The truth is sometimes I really think I would like to do something else, but at the end of the day this work is really the only thing that I have found that gives my life both meaning and direction. In five years, I certainly hope to have seen SERA grow into an international relief organization capable of helping hundreds of thousands of people around the world. I would also like to be able to say that I was able to give something back to everyone who helped along the way.
This work is important for the message that it sends to people back home, that one of the best aspects of the American way of life is our ability to come together in the face of adversity and to stand beside those who might need a helping hand. In five years, if I can look back on all of this and say that our organization is able to truly help people, that I was able so share a little bit of hope and that I never stopped learning then I will know this all stood for something.
If people want to help SERA, what’s something they can do?
We can accept donations at a temporary account at:
Epworth United Methodist Church
6450 Allisonville Road
Indianapolis, IN 46220
Checks should be made out to Epworth United Methodist Church. In the memo line, people can put either “SERA Relief Effort” or “Peter Kassig Relief Effort.”
It’s not a religious thing, but my hometown neighborhood set this up for us in the meantime as a transparent and monitored donation system. SERA is a fully incorporated NGO, but our 501c3 [federal non-profit tax status] is still pending. | <urn:uuid:044d1b9f-24e5-4458-a3db-36f9d7bef503> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nation.time.com/2013/01/08/an-army-ranger-turned-refugee-helper/print/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976316 | 1,860 | 1.804688 | 2 |
The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the voice of the construction industry, is an organization of qualified construction contractors and industry related companies dedicated to skill, integrity, and responsibility. Operating in partnership with its Chapters, the association provides a full range of services satisfying the needs and concerns of its members, thereby improving the quality of construction and protecting the public interest.
AGC is the nation's largest and oldest construction trade association, established in 1918 after a request by President Woodrow Wilson. Wilson recognized the construction industry's national importance and desired a partner with which the government could discuss and plan for the advancement of the nation. AGC has been fulfilling that mission for the last 85 years.
AGC is dedicated to improving the construction industry daily by educating the industry to employ the finest skills, promoting use of the latest technology and advocating building the best quality projects for owners--public and private. AGC is committed to three tenets of industry advancement and opportunity: Skill, Integrity, and Responsibility. | <urn:uuid:b65f37a5-5a74-4cbc-abe8-6addbb76d436> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pcc.edu/services/index.cfm/217,1929,30,html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940562 | 201 | 1.578125 | 2 |
One of the fastest growing fields in the business world today is marketing consulting. Some people made be surprised by this fact, but it should come as no shock because marketing consultants perform a wide variety of services for their clients. These individuals and firms provide solutions and strategies for businesses trying to boost their overall performance. This service is particularly effective for new business, especially those that are internet based. Most of the time, marketing consultants assist their clients in implementing successful advertising campaigns, branding, and public relations. They may also provide services associated with management/employee relations. They can offer managers training in leadership skills and communication, for example. They often educate employees about company policies, such as those pertaining to sexual harassment. At times they work in issue areas typically performed by human resources professionals. For instance, they help companies determine what to include in employee benefits and retirement packages, along with improving employee retention rates. They may also engage in the recruitment process by showing companies ways to attract talented new workers. | <urn:uuid:893c7846-a204-42f3-a50e-f5653fcf0846> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.pointcom.com/NY/Rochester/business-search/Marketing%20Consultants/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978356 | 198 | 1.523438 | 2 |
MOUNT VERNON — Princesses, ghouls, honey bees and more descended on Columbia Elementary school Thursday evening for a Trick-or-Read event.
The family-centered affair was all about literacy and featured families enjoying the printed word together. There was popcorn and a book fair in the gym, while the cafeteria was the base for high-frequency word Bingo games. Upstairs in the library, volunteers read Halloween-themed stories to groups of children, and parents and pupils rotated through the classrooms for literacy activities with intriguing names such as Jeopardy, Reading Spinners, Book Marks, Poetry and Halloween Madness.
Melissa Earnest was one of the many parents participating in the event. She and her son, Hayden Harmer, 9, were having fun taking turns reading verses in a Halloween poem.
“I think this is awesome,” said Earnest. “It’s a good way for parents to interact with children and it’s fun for the kids. They’re practicing reading without realizing it.”
For the rest of the story
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Contact Pamela SchehlEmail
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:f72f3482-1c84-4371-84f2-0d61781de4c4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/12/10/27/article?id=2&headline=families-find-bond-in-reading | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950608 | 306 | 1.804688 | 2 |
As with many biologists, my love of science started with a fascination about the natural world. My mother told me that when I was in daycare, I would come home with earthworms from the playground stuffed in my pockets. Growing up in Cologne, Germany, I had limited exposure to nature, but I avidly read and watched documentaries.
Near the end of high school, I was accepted into a marine biology program at the University of Kiel on Germany's northern coast. Jacques Cousteau was my role model, so I imagined myself exploring the Baltic Sea in a submarine. But before I got too caught up in this dream, I had to complete a required year of service to the country.
In lieu of serving in the armed forces, I chose 15 months of social service at University Hospital of Cologne, which gave me the opportunity to observe surgeries and participate in laboratory research. It was a career-forming experience; the world of the laboratory drew me in.
When I finished, I was torn between the professions of medicine and research. I liked the thought of curing patients by being a surgeon, but I also enjoyed the idea of helping others by getting to the root of biological problems as a scientist.
Ultimately, I put aside my original dream of becoming Jacques Cousteau and enrolled in a molecular biology program at the University of Heidelberg.
The Magic of Molecular Machines
While at Heidelberg, I interned in the laboratory of Hermann Bujard, who was well known for developing a system that can switch genes on and off in cells. Through his teaching and other seminars, I found myself captivated by the interactions between nucleic acids (such as DNA and RNA) and proteins.
A large number of proteins and groups of proteins, known as complexes, are involved in copying and expressing genes. Protein complexes act like little molecular machines in cells. They swirl around and can bind to particular DNA sequences in chromosomes. In the case of DNA replication, binding triggers a chain of reactions that results in the copying of chromosomal DNA. It seemed like magic to me.
Around that time — and before I began my thesis project — I wanted to spend a few months abroad to experience everyday life in another country. I knew the United States had a great reputation for molecular biology research, and I was fortunately accepted into Michael Botchan's lab at the University of California, Berkeley, where I intended to intern for three months.
Making Sense of a Complex Situation
DNA replication takes place in two general steps. First, protein complexes gather at a particular location where replication will begin, known as the origin site. Next, during the activation step, additional proteins kick into action to activate the complexes and start replication.
The origin recognition complex is the first protein complex to bind to DNA at the origin site. In the lab at Berkeley, we managed to build the origin recognition complex of a fruit fly, which was a first for a multicellular organism. My research progressed so well that Dr. Botchan suggested that I stay for a few extra months to turn the internship into my thesis. When two of my mentors from Heidelberg said they would serve as my official thesis supervisors, I agreed to stay on.
A few months later, molecular biologist Renato Paro — one of my Heidelberg mentors and an incredible supporter of my work — helped me arrange to continue working at Berkeley, with my PhD awarded from Heidelberg. So the three months that had turned into six months actually evolved into my entire PhD.
“Scientifically speaking, this is the best place for me to accomplish my goals, surrounded by immense expertise and support.”
Dirk Remus, Molecular Biologist
After purifying the origin recognition complex, I was intent on figuring out where this complex assembles on the chromosome. In bacteria, viruses, and budding yeast, replication begins at very specific DNA sequences. When we examined the fruit fly complex, we were surprised to find that it would bind to almost any DNA, not one particular sequence. It is quite promiscuous, actually.
To this day, we can't find a specific DNA sequence where the origin recognition complex assembles in humans either. Nonetheless, the replication process is highly regulated in humans, in order to prevent errors that can lead to DNA damage, such as breaks, incorrect numbers of gene copies, or changes in DNA sequence. Such errors can potentially lead to cancer or other diseases.
Keeping the Genome Intact
When I finished my PhD in 2003, I wanted to create a system in the lab to study the complete DNA replication process. This would allow us to analyze how various complexes cooperate at a molecular level to copy the DNA contained in chromosomes. An early version of such a system had been developed in budding yeast in the lab of John Diffley, a prominent DNA replication researcher at Clare Hall laboratories, part of the Cancer Research UK London Research Institute.
Moving to England was an interesting transition. I switched from fruit flies to budding yeast, in which the replication process (and my research) progressed more quickly. I also went from the diverse Berkeley campus to the fields at the edge of London, where scientists are highly specialized in research involving genome integrity — maintaining a healthy, properly functioning genome. DNA replication is an important part of keeping the genome intact.
I spent three years assembling all of the complexes involved in the first step of replication. Our most significant finding involved the enzyme helicase, which unwinds the two strands of DNA to ready them for replication. In cells with a nucleus, called eukaryotes, the helicase is made up of six distinct protein units, known as Mcm2-7.
Under an electron microscope, we saw that the Mcm2-7 helicase is actually made of two rings that encircle the DNA in opposite directions — revealing how replication can move in two different directions along the two strands at the same time.
'The Best Place for What I Want to Accomplish'
I came to the Sloan-Kettering Institute after my postdoctoral work to contribute to the rich tradition of DNA replication research. The institute is a mixture of my past lives, with a great concentration of labs working on aspects of genome integrity as well as a wide spectrum of other programs.
My lab is expanding on the system I established while in England. We're adding additional components that are required to activate the complex involved in the first step of DNA replication. Scientifically speaking, this is the best place for me to accomplish my goals, surrounded by immense expertise and support.
Once we finally have a complete system to study DNA replication outside of cells, we can gain more insight into how DNA is accurately copied within the cells. When we understand that, we can begin to identify targets for stopping the out-of-control replication process involved in diseases like cancer.
Last updated: May 16, 2011 | <urn:uuid:4a3ab1b9-622c-492d-afc6-79599dc30ec9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mskcc.org/research/lab/dirk-remus/work | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00001-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963161 | 1,403 | 1.773438 | 2 |
Judith Butler, faux anti-racist
Judith Butler, self-appointed arbiter of race relations everywhere
Judith Butler has an uncanny knack for self-aggrandizement, and casting herself as the voice of LGBT people of color in Germany is only the latest and most outrageous acts of ruthless self-promotion.
Berlin’s biggest LGBT pride event is Christopher Street Day, and Butler was invited to speak at the event on June 19 as a recipient of the ‘Zivilcouragepreis’ (which could be loosely translated as ‘prize for courage in pursuing civil rights’). Rather than give the expected acceptance speech, Butler chose to use her speech to denounce the event organizers for racism:
“When I consider what it means today, to accept such an award, then I believe, that I would actually lose my courage, if i would simply accept the price under the present political conditions… For instance: Some of the organizers explicitly made racist statements or did not dissociate themselves from them. The host organizations refuse to understand antiracist politics as an essential part of their work. Having said this, I must distance myself from this complicity with racism, including anti-Muslim racism…”
(The full text of Butler’s speech in English translation was posted to the website of the European Graduate School).
Butler then proceeds to mention Gays and Lesbians from Turkey (GLADT) and Lesbian Migrants and Black Lesbians (LesMigraS) as organizations of color and SUSPECT and ReachOut as anti-racist organizations and congratulate them for their work.
Now, I would ordinarily be inclined to commend and support those who speak out against statements and actions that are anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim, and if CSD organizers had made such statements, they needed to be held accountable for them. But what struck me as I listened to the speech in the original German and read it in English translation was how false it was. Butler is not herself either Muslim or a person of color, nor is she German, nor is she an activist (at least in any sense that would be recognized outside of departments of rhetoric at elite universities in the United States). Butler has never co-founded an organization for doing anti-racism work, whether LGBT or otherwise; nor does she do any activism (on behalf of queer people of color or otherwise) in Germany.
Rather, Butler is a privileged white American academic theorist who used her position of privilege and power to appropriate the position of the person of color, and that is a kind of racial politics that strikes me as false. Not only is it completely graceless to refuse an award from an organization in a speech given at an event organized by that organization, there is not an iota of recognition on Butler’s part of how she got to where she is in part because of her white-skin privilege. Nor is there any recognition of the enormous institutional privilege and power she wields as the hegemonic figure in the field of gender studies. Had Butler not been widely reputed to be the leading gender theorist in the world, it is far less likely that she would have been considered for the CSD Zivilcouragepreis.
Butler did her Ph.D. in philosophy at Yale University, which must surely be accounted second only to Harvard as the wealthiest, most powerful and most elite of all of American universities. And she has done very well in her academic career, parlaying her elite Ivy League doctorate into a tenure track position at the University of California at Berkeley, where she is now Maxine Elliot Professor in the Departments of Rhetoric and Comparative Literature and the Co-director of the Program of Critical Theory. As a tenured full professor, Butler is at the top of the heap on the faculty of what is widely reputed to be the leading public university in the United States, if not the world. And for those who are not familiar with the highways and byways of academia, an endowed chair such as that which Butler holds is the ultimate status symbol among status-conscious (if not status-obsessed) academics.
Nor is there any recognition in Butler’s CDS speech of the privileges that her wealth and upper middle class status confer. At an annual salary of $200,000, with total compensation at $232,583, Butler is more than comfortably upper middle class — she is actually in the top 0.001% of income globally, and according to the calculations of the Global Rich List website, the 107, 565 richest person in the world. Nor is there any recognition of how her US citizenship enables her to speak from a position of privilege and even hegemony at an event outside the United States. The Ugly American is ugly not because s/he is American per se, but because s/he appropriates a position of global sovereignty wherever s/he goes, unaware of the structures of power that enable him/her to do so.
What is so striking to me in all of the media coverage of the speech is that no one has stopped to consider what Butler could have done differently. For example, rather than give the speech herself, Butler could have brought someone from one of the four groups that she mentioned in her speech onto stage at Christopher Street Day to make a statement in place of the speech she gave. Or, Butler could have insisted that the CSD organizers invite one or more individuals from one or more of those four organizations receive the award and be given the opportunity to speak to the CSD crowd. Or, Butler could have issued a public statement declining the award for the reasons that she articulated in the speech she gave on June 19, presumably saving the organizers the expense of flying her to Berlin (notably absent from the media coverage over the event is any reference to what Butler received in the way of a speaking fee for giving the speech or whether the CDS organizers paid for her travel and accommodations).
Instead, Butler chose to insist on her own supremacy as the arbiter of race relations in Germany as well as the United States, despite the fact that she herself is neither a person of color nor an activist who has done anti-racism work in either country. Someone in the field of language and rhetoric such as Butler will be aware of the difference between text and subtext as well as theory and praxis — not to mention positionality – and so she cannot be unaware of how the speech act represented by her June 19 speech could have precisely the opposite effect that it was ostensibly intended to have. Upon closer examination, Butler’s speech will appear to the discerning eye to be not so much an articulation of anti-racist discourse but rather a displacement of a genuinely anti-racist praxis — an easy but faux anti-racism of the sort that an armchair activist will engage in with no risk and little effort.
Mark John Isola, an assistant professor of English at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, has written of the controversy,
“As much as Butler’s actions point something out, I am uncertain that Butler is not reproducing what she portends to distance herself from as she essentializes racism–and others follow suit re: the gay white male community. Should we not perhaps consider the idea that gay white men are not interchangeable nor function with a one-think across chronological, cultural, class, and geographic positions? As a gay white male, I find this idea tedious, if not hinky and dangerous, and I wonder if Butler is not privileging one group over another for the sake of a point, which leads me to consider her stance an act of grandstanding rather than an earnest effort to make a point. Or, perhaps, it is simply an act of discursive delimitation re: modish theories of the other and difference.
“What about the homophobic complicity, as such can occur within the racialized other? Such homophobia can oft be seen to have a transnational and transpositional but not (I will not accept such) a transcendental rate of incidence. It seems, if one will speak of complicity with the forces of othering, then this other fact, as annoying as it is for our conventional theoretical paradigms, must be addressed. Perhaps, we ought look to a new framework rather than resting upon old arguments and assumptions, as such are increasingly failing to be productive in a rigorous analysis. I am just not seeing productivity in Butler’s position, as much as I feel this is a rhetoric I have read repeatedly before. It is also one that I am finding increasingly uncomfortable to accept, especially as it emanates from such a power broker in the world of thought, and there are class positions and deep issues of academic location to be considered here, for titles, tithes, and tenure are not beyond discursive delimitation.
“In sum, if Butler will get us thinking about sexuality and its problematic relationship to race, she must also consider the inverse, for the sake of critical interrogation and not a mere metanarrative framing of an issue. I fear, such hasty theorizing is increasingly making the Academy irrelevant in the 21st century, and I wonder if anyone could suggest readings that are also analyzing the increasingly irrelevant and distancing nature of the Academy. I am exploring this rift in a chapter I am working, and I am very curious to explore Butler’s position here, as I find it a bit precious, if not problematically revealing of a new power structure that we might want to begin unscrewing just a bit…”
As Isola argues, the tone of Butler’s speech suggests that it was nothing but grandstanding of the sort that politicians engage in all the time. The speech certainly did nothing to support the work of queer people of color, whether in Europe or the United States; on the contrary, I think it subtly but very effectively undermines it by subordinating that work to the globalizing discourse of a hegemonic theoretical and institutional position (viz., Butler’s); but such an outcome may very well accord with the unspoken intention behind the hegemon’s oily utterance. | <urn:uuid:3960499f-94dc-44e5-955c-f01d336a18bf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.paulinepark.com/2010/06/judith-butler-faux-anti-racist/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00004-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966363 | 2,084 | 1.5625 | 2 |
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has partnered with the University of Johannesburg and the University of California, Los Angeles to conduct scientific research into the fields of water purification and microalgal biotechnology, according to a press release last month.
“This is an international partnership that will benefit the peoples of South Africa, Israel and other countries around the world,” said BGU’s Vice President for External Affairs Prof. Amos Drory on occasion of the signing. Drory and Prof. Derek van der Merwe, Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Johannesburg, signed the research collaboration agreement in South Africa.
“The two universities will become involved in extremely important, evolutionary research that will mainly benefit third world countries throughout the world,” said Dr. Bertram Lubner, Vice-Chairman of BGU’s Board of Governors and president of the SA Associates of Ben-Gurion University (SAABGU).
Prof. Sammy Boussiba and Prof. Yoram Oren from Ben Gurion University’s Blaustein Institute for Desert Research will head up the projects in Israel working together with Prof. Bhekie Mamba, leading the South African research teams. They will be assisted by Prof. Eric Hoek, an expert in the fields of water purification and microalgal biotechnology at UCLA. (more…)
Monday, October 12th, 2009
A recent Jewish Telegraphic Agency article by Dina Kraft on clean technology takes a good look at a number of projects by Israeli clean tech industries and Israel’s military branches in the realm of renewable and alternative energy.
“Beating swords into green plowshares in Israel,” the article talks about solar energy energy companies such as Bright Source Energy, which is involved in building solar energy plants in California’s Mojave Desert and other locations; and Rotem, which utilizes technologies developed in Israel’s aeronautical defense industry.
Monday, October 5th, 2009
A “plucky little” country is how the late Princess Diana once described Israel to Shimon Peres. About the size of New Jersey, Israel has a disproportionate number of clean tech companies and investment in clean technology compared to its size.
And now U.S. businessman and investor David Anthony from 21Ventures (at left) is about to reveal his trade secrets and insider information about clean tech investing in Israel.
If you are itching to become a clean tech entrepreneur in Israel, this is must-read information. If you’d like to know more about what makes the industry tick, read on.
Unlike Silicon Valley and the high-tech industry, the clean tech market today has no center of excellence, Anthony tells Green Prophet. In the last 50 years of venture capital investing there has been a saying, “Never fly over your company,” meaning one shouldn’t invest in a company that isn’t within a 60 mile radius of the office.
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
Israeli solar energy companies such as Solel Solar, Aora, Ormat technologies, and a host of others are now world leaders in the development of sun power to produce electricity. But Israel, a small country of 7 million, with more than half its land area being desert, has been a solar energy pioneer virtually since its beginning in 1948.
What is now fondly known to many Israelis as a “dude shemesh” or sun boiler, was invented by a guy named Levi Yissar back in the early 1950’s, when electricity was very expensive due to a severe energy shortage.
Monday, August 17th, 2009
The NATO Science for Peace Program and the Middle East Desalination Research Center (MEDRC) recently awarded grants to researchers at Ben Gurion University of the Negev to continue working on a novel desalination method. In a region where potable water sources are so scarce, these methods are crucial to water independence and reducing reliance upon imported water sources (which require a lot of fossil fuels).
The team, lead by Dr. Jack Gilron (Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research) and Professor Eli Korin (Department of Chemical Engineering), has developed a desalination method by reverse osmosis that exploits “the finite kinetics of membrane fouling processes by periodically changing the conditions leading to membrane fouling before it can occur.”
Friday, August 14th, 2009
Water technology, solar innovation, Israel’s electric cars: I’d originally written this story for ISRAEL21c a few months ago when we were planning on launching its new Environment channel. The new channel was finally up this week. Consider it a good starting point if you’d like to know more about Israeli technology and investment opportunities and what the future may hold:
When green evangelist Al Gore visited Israel last year (and Green Prophet was there) he gave a clear message. “The people of Israel can lead the way to renewable energy,” he told audiences. With its unique geographical position, and clean tech know how, he announced, Israel is a natural leader in the field.
It’s a view that is echoed by many. Ian Thomson, the Californian co-founder of CleanTechies, a web site launched for clean technology professionals, agrees.
Thursday, July 16th, 2009
IQwind, an Israel-based start-up developing variable gear technology that improves the energy generation efficiency of wind turbines, has raised $500,000 from ISRAEL G-TEK LLC, according to an announcement by the U.S.-based investors.
IQwind received a first round of investment from Terra Venture Partners in 2007.
Sami Shiro and Uri Benhamron, principals at ISRAEL G-TEK, explain that the investment in IQWind is part of their “plan to create a balanced portfolio of greentech companies with a special focus on Israel as a breeding ground for technology.”
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
Tigo Energy, a solar start-up whose unique technology significantly increases efficiency in photovoltaic solar installations, announced today that it has closed its Series B round of funding.
The $10 million round was led by Israel Cleantech Ventures and joined by all existing investors (Matrix Partners, OVP and Clal Energy). The series B financing represented a significant premium to Tigo Energy’s $6 million Series A venture round in May of 2008.
Meir Ukeles of Israel Cleantech Ventures has joined the Tigo Board of Directors following the round. In January, Tigo Energy added three cleantech industry veterans to its board of advisers.
Monday, May 18th, 2009
Ormat Technologies is combining with Itochu Corporation to build a 330 megawatt (MW) geothermal power plant in Northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
The project will cost an estimated $800 million, according a report in Reuters. Ormat and Japan’s Itochu Corp. were originally awarded the contract in 2006 and are working in collaboration with Indonesian energy firm PT Medco. | <urn:uuid:aa3c3fc6-db08-46b2-960a-b36b51f14836> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.cleantechies.com/tag/israel/page/4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942589 | 1,496 | 1.710938 | 2 |
The Journey with Jesus: Notes to Myself
Weekly essays by Dan Clendenin
Essay posted 26 March 2007
He's Subverting Our Nation!
For Sunday April 1, 2007
Sixth Sunday in Lent
Lectionary Readings (Revised Common Lectionary, Year C)
Luke 22:14–23:56 or 23:1–49
Macedonian icon of
Jesus's Triumphal Entry
Palm Sunday triggered the beginning of the end for Jesus.
What began on Sunday with a religious procession ended Friday morning with a public display of state terror. Excited children waving palm branches were quickly forgotten when violent mobs shouted death chants. By Good Friday, Jesus's disciples argued among themselves about who was the greatest, Judas betrayed him, Peter denied knowing him, all his disciples fled (except for the women), and Rome employed all the brutal means at its disposal to crush an insurgent movement—rendition, interrogation, torture, mockery, humiliation, and then a sadistic execution designed as a "calculated social deterrent" (Borg) to any other trouble makers who might challenge imperial authority.
But just why did Jesus die? At least one answer emerges when you connect three data points from his birth, his public debut, and then his death on Good Friday.
To back track to his nativity, in her Magnificat Mary proclaimed that with the birth of her son God would "bring down rulers from their thrones, fill the hungry with good things, and send the rich away empty" (Luke 1:52–53). The aged Simeon uttered a dark prophecy to the young mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against" (Luke 2:34).
Jesus before Pilate, Seymour E. Bottex, Haiti.
After his birth, Jesus vanished into historical obscurity, then thirty years later burst onto the scene with the provocative declaration, "Repent! The kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark 1:15). There's a new rule and a new reign, he said. Mary's song about toppling political and economic powers and Jesus's inauguration of an alternate social vision set him on a collision course with Rome. After three years of itinerant preaching, teaching, and healing that focused on the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, and all who were oppressed (Luke 4:18ff), his family declared him insane and the authorities finally had enough.
The passion narratives for this week explain why. Jesus was executed for three reasons, says Luke: "We found this fellow subverting the nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King" (Luke 23:1–2). In John's gospel the angry mob warned Pilate, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar" (John 19:12).
So why did Jesus die? "He's subverting our nation. He opposes Caesar. You can't befriend both Jesus and Caesar."
The Condemnation of Christ and the Denial of
Saint Peter, early fifth century, British Museum.
Jesus's triumphal entry into the clogged streets of Jerusalem on Good Friday was thus a highly symbolic and provocative act, an enacted parable, or street theater that dramatized his subversive mission. He didn't ride a donkey because he was too tired to walk or because he wanted a good view of the crowds. The Oxford scholar George Caird once characterized Jesus's triumphal entry as more of a "planned political demonstration" than the religious celebration that we sentimentalize today.
Given that the Roman state always made a show of force during the Jewish Passover when pilgrims thronged to Jerusalem to celebrate their political liberation from Egypt centuries earlier, Borg and Crossan imagine not one but two political processions entering Jerusalem that Friday morning in the spring of AD 30. In a blatant parody of imperial politics, king Jesus descended the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem from the east in fulfillment of Zechariah's ancient prophecy: "Look, your king is coming to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Matthew 21:5 = Zechariah 9:9). From the west, the Roman governor Pilate entered Jerusalem with all the pomp of state power. Pilate's brigades showcased Rome's military might, power and glory. Jesus's triumphal entry, by stark contrast, was an anti-imperial and anti-triumphal "counter-procession" of peasants that proclaimed an alternate and subversive social vision called "the kingdom of God."
People today argue about who's "subverting our nation." A friend in Florida forwarded me an email that blamed Muslims in America for our problems. Others attack evangelicals as "Christian fascists." For a long time now others have taken aim at "secular humanists" and liberal Democrats. On his nationally televised program Jerry Falwell blamed the wickedness of pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays, lesbians, the ACLU, and People for the American Way for the 9-11 disaster, which he construed as God's judgment. Pat Robertson, a guest on the show, nodded in agreement, “well, I totally concur.” The greed of corporate executives and the sleaze of Hollywood movies also make easy targets. But I never recall anyone blaming Jesus, that Jesus is the one who's "subverting our nation." But that was the allegation that sent Jesus to Golgotha.
Marc Chagall, "Yellow Crucifixion" (1943).
Twenty years after Jesus died, charges of subversion dogged his first followers. In Philippi, a mob dragged Paul and Silas before the city magistrates, then had them stripped, beaten, severely flogged, and imprisoned: "These men are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice" (Acts 16:20–21). In Thessalonica, "some bad characters from the marketplace" dragged Jason and some fellow believers before the city officials, shouting "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here. . . They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus" (Acts 17:7). Paul was persecuted by the political powers, not coddled and patronized by them. In Antioch he was run out of town. In Iconium, Luke writes, "the people of the city were divided" about Paul's Gospel. Jews and Gentiles joined forces to stone Paul and his companions (Acts 14:4–5).
What were Jesus and his first followers subverting? We know that the earliest believers were called "atheists" because they refused to participate in Rome's cult of imperial worship, and a "third race" that distinguished itself from the "first race" (Greeks and Romans) and the "second race" (Jews). The question deserves a lifetime of reflection, but the simple summary of Borg and Crossan also makes a good beginning. Jesus's alternate reign and rule, they argue, subverted major aspects of the way most societies in history have been organized. Whether ancient or modern, most societies have normalized a status quo of political oppression that marginalizes ordinary people, economic exploitation whereby the rich take advantage of the poor, and religious legitimation that insists that "God wants things this way." It's easy to think of other components of the cultural status quo that Jesus might also subvert, like ethnic stereotypes, media propaganda, gender roles, consumerism, and our degradation of planet earth.
Burial of Christ, Cathédrale d'Auch (France).
On Palm Sunday Jesus invites us to join his subversive counter-procession into all the world. But he calls us not to just any subversion, subversion for its own sake, or to some new and improved political agenda. Rather, Christian subversion takes as its model Jesus himself, "who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross." Dying to self and the many demons of egoism, and living to serve others, will prove itself as sufficiently and radically subversive. And so Paul instructs us in his epistle for this week: "have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5–11).1
For further reflection:
* Consider this "snapshot" from the Epistle to Diognetus (c. 130 AD) that captures the ambiguous space that Christians of that day occupied in their society:
"For the Christians are distinguished from other people neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive people; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners [or resident aliens]. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all people, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honor; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred."
See Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, The Last Week; A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem. | <urn:uuid:6f341919-1f3d-43eb-902f-f1741a6cbded> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20070326JJ.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702810651/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516111330-00017-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968236 | 2,319 | 1.695313 | 2 |
Date of this Version
“How might one build a creative arts component . . . into a course not otherwise involved with the creative arts?” was one of the questions Rusty Rushton posed in his Call for Papers for the volume titled “Honors and the Creative Arts.” His question caught my attention. The NCHC’s Mission Statement calls upon us as teachers of Honors courses “to enhance opportunities (academic, cultural, and social) responsive to educational needs of highly able and/or exceptionally motivated undergraduate students.” On the other hand, however, we may feel, as Gail E. Hawisher and Cynthia L. Selfe clearly do, that “we often find ourselves casting about for effective ways to educate students for a world with which we, ourselves, are unfamiliar—and about which we remain uncertain” (3-4). A significant element of that world is, of course, technology. | <urn:uuid:629b68d6-1b43-43dd-a265-43b202572a0b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/nchcjournal/87/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954657 | 195 | 1.671875 | 2 |
Question: How can I tell if an alternative treatment or product is making a false claim about curing cancer?
Answer:It is a sad commentary on life, not only in the United States these days but also in all developed countries, that we are besieged and beleaguered by false claims that certain products or procedures or approaches are going to cure cancer. This is sheer nonsense and I certainly hope that the patients who are listening to this program will seek sources that provide accurate information and not be drawn in by the promises of people who are getting wealthy by promoting a wide range of approaches to take care of cancer -- none of which work, which tend to be invasive, which are usually expensive, frequently offered in Tijuana and other such places but also through a slew of folks that are available. And if you go into Google and put in "alternative" and "cancer," you will get tens of millions of hits.
Unfortunately, a lot of people are getting wealthy on the backs of cancer patients, and I for one deeply resent that. | <urn:uuid:a0ba42cb-9582-4830-ace3-f7026867303d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AlternativeMedicine/alternative-treatment-product-making-false-claim-curing-cancer/story?id=9410146 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976663 | 209 | 1.796875 | 2 |
|Literal English||Authority of the Gods|
|Other||Space–Time Migration (時空間移動, Jikūkan Idō)|
|Anime||Naruto Shippūden Episode #29|
|Movie||Naruto Shippūden 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire|
|Game||Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja 5|
|Appears in||Anime, Manga, Game and Movie|
|Classification||Kekkei Genkai, Ninjutsu, Dōjutsu, Space–Time Ninjutsu, Barrier Ninjutsu|
|Class||Offensive, Defensive, Supplementary|
Kamui is a powerful dōjutsu which originates from the Mangekyō Sharingan of Obito Uchiha. A unique and specialised form of space–time ninjutsu, it that allows the user to achieve two very distinct, yet closely associated feats – teleportation and "intangibility".
Kamui allows the user to transfer anything to another dimension. Once a target is sent to this dimension is unable to escape. This technique is also able to make the user "intangible" by transporting portions of his body to the same pocket dimension. Obito was able to use this technique the moment he awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, while Kakashi, who awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan at the same moment as Obito, didn't have access to it until sometime after Sasuke's defection and made first use of it in the series during Naruto and his first encounter with Deidara.
Kakashi Hatake likens the characteristics of the technique to those of Minato Namikaze's Flying Thunder God Technique, but notes that it seems to be much more versatile since it requires neither seal nor a summoning tattoo to be performed. The side of the eye using the technique determines the specific property of it.
Each eye uses Kamui to teleport to the other dimension, though how this is done depends on the eye. By creating a swirling, distortion centered focused on the eye, the user is able to open a void into the other dimension. This technique's effect acts as an attractive force, both visibly drawing the target inwards and distorting their form until they disappear. After absorbing targets through this process, Obito or Kakashi is able to eject them at any time of their choosing, with varying degrees of force. In doing so, Obito is able to attack using weapons of gigantic proportions and/or quantities with relative ease and at a moment's notice, giving opponents little opportunity to react accordingly.
Another unique trait of Kamui is that it allows the user to teleport himself to any location they desire, during which time their chakra becomes untraceable. By his own admission, Obito is capable of finding anyone and teleport to their location regardless of where they are. When Obito uses Kamui to teleport himself, whatever he is touching will be warped with him, a trait that saved Konan's life when she attempted to blow herself up with Obito, when she covered herself with exploding tags. Obito teleported to safety, but as he was touching Konan at the time, saved her as well. Despite not always being present, Obito can keep his targets under genjutsu while they are confined inside this pocket dimension and thus, keep them incapacitated for extended durations.
The left eye's primary use of Kamui is based on line of sight and as such does not require physical contact to warp a target into the other dimension. By focusing a barrier space and concentrating on that target, Kamui will distort space and the target will be drawn into other dimension. When Kakashi first used this technique, it required great concentration and was difficult to aim, dragging in only Deidara's arm when he aimed for his head. By The Invasion of Pain, Kakashi was able to use Kamui to stop a speeding nail from penetrating his head, and later during the Fourth Shinobi World War could warp Gyūki, the Eight-Tails quickly and warp it and himself back to the real world.
The unique trait of this eye is the ability of intangibility. Obito renders his body intangible which allows him to phase through attacks and solid objects. By seamlessly warping parts of his body to the other dimension, Obito can dodge most attacks, and by overlapping his entire body into large objects, such as the ground, he can not only conceal himself from view, but erase all traces of his chakra. Obito often exploits this characteristic to ambush his opponents from below. Though he is unable to establish any physical contact while being intangible, Obito can still use chakra chains. He also seemingly possesses the capability to extend this intangibility to whatever he's touching at the moment of activation, as long as he is able to maintain some form of contact with at least a part of the desired item or person.
Since this technique is shared by two different users of the same pair of eyes, both parties can use their own technique to counter the effectiveness of the other, thus making it useless to use against one another directly. Obito can extend this negation to targets outside of his own body, as he negated Kakashi's attempt to decapitate the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's head. Similarly, Kakashi was able to escape Obito's attempt to trap him in the other dimension.
The Mangekyō Sharingan is a dōjutsu that, with continuous usage, burdens the user with the loss of their eyesight. Since this is the source of Kamui, using it in rapid succession puts Kakashi's body at risk as well. As his Sharingan was transplanted, usage of this technique poses an even greater risk to Kakashi. Similar to Amaterasu, repeated use of the technique puts a great deal of strain on the user, causing his left eye to bleed if overused.
Kakashi is able to use this technique up to at least three times in a given day, even when starting at full strength. At first Kakashi's aim and control over the size of the barrier was imperfect. Over time his aim and control improved, as he was able to accurately warp away small and fast moving objects, such as a nail. Kakashi is even able to consecutively warp away two fast-moving arrows. He also became able to use this technique several more times in a single day.
In Obito's case, the primary weakness of this technique is that both aspects cannot be used concurrently, as he must become and remain tangible in order to transport himself or others, providing a small opportunity in which he is unable to pass through objects and thus, is vulnerable to injury. This deficiency means that he must also materialise when ejecting stored items as well, presenting the same vulnerability. According to Konan, Obito can only maintain his intangibility for approximately five consecutive minutes at a time, after which he is presumably rendered completely solid for a duration. She also reveals that the time it takes him to absorb something is proportional to its mass, and that it takes longer to absorb himself than another person or object.
Additionally, due to the nature of Obito's intangibility, the sections of his body residing in the other dimension can still interact normally with other objects that are also contained within this dimension, meaning they can be damaged by such items. As this technique originates from Obito Uchiha's Sharingan, of which both Kakashi and Obito possess one of, the two share the same dimension when teleporting objects, a characteristic that Kakashi exploited to injure Obito on multiple occasions during the Fourth Shinobi World War.
Unlike Kakashi or any Mangekyō Sharingan users, Obito's extensively continuous usage of the Kamui technique does not seem to tire him at the very least, nor even cause his eyesight to deteriorate.
Kamui is the word for a divine being in Ainu mythology, although it is almost never written with kanji in modern times. In a more general Japanese context, Kamui refers to the might and majesty of the gods, particularly the Shintō Kami.
- The Third Databook seems to hint that other Mangekyō Sharingan users can access the technique through sheer training of the eye, though this is unconfirmed. | <urn:uuid:8485f14f-6fdc-4c32-98fd-d4c4c574c160> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Kamui?curid=8038&diff=716885&oldid=716763 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962138 | 1,727 | 1.570313 | 2 |
In at least 44 states, insurance policyholders can hire their own adjusters, called public adjusters, to help settle claims after a loss. But the legal status of public adjusters is cloudy at best in Alabama.
Following April’s savage tornadoes, the Alabama State Bar warned that public adjusters are illegal in Alabama, saying that they are practicing law without a license and could face criminal prosecution.
Insurance Commissioner Jim Ridling says that policyholders are generally free to hire whoever they want to advise them on making claims with their insurer. It’s when the third party takes charge of the negotiation for the policyholder that things get murky, Ridling said.
Various public adjusters have solicited business in Alabama since the tornadoes, which are expected to result in 90,000-plus claims and more than $3 billion in damage. For example, United States Adjusters, based in Boca Raton, Fla., has a website seeking business in Alabama. Officials with that company say they work through a lawyer, though.
When someone files a claim with an insurer, the company sends an adjuster to examine the damage and determine how much repairs will cost.
A public adjuster, however, represents the policyholder, working up a separate damage estimate and bargaining with the insurer. The policyholder pays for the service, giving a public adjuster 10 percent to 25 percent of a settlement depending on the state and type of claim.
A study by Florida legislative researchers found that policyholders represented by public adjusters typically get more total money from their insurance company.
But the study also found that claims handled by public adjusters can take much longer to settle. Public adjusters may present more information that an insurer has to investigate, as well as encourage policyholders to formally dispute a settlement through a lawsuit, mediation or a form of arbitration known as appraisal.
Insurers warn that public adjusters inflame policyholders’ distrust, and may defraud insurers by inflating claims to reap more money for themselves.
"Once you cross that bridge and go to the public adjuster side of things, (insurers) will hate you forever," said John Merchant, a former contract adjuster for insurers who now owns a Georgia roofing company seeking work in Alabama.
Merchant says he tries to help his clients maximize claims, giving them more money to spend for repairs with his company. "We don’t negotiate the claim so much as we educate the policyholder. I cannot legally do the negotiating in Alabama," Merchant said.
In Florida, the state with the most public adjusters, lawmakers have moved to restrict some of their activity.
Monique Kabitzke with the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, said insurers believe some public adjusters were "manufacturing claims" where there were none, engaging in "basically just plain and outright fraud."
The Alabama bar association on May 9 issued a statement that said any third party who negotiated with an insurance company on behalf of a policyholder was committing a misdemeanor.
"Alabama does not license claims adjusters so any claims settled by such third-party recovery firms are considered to be the unauthorized practice of law, which is subject to criminal prosecution," the statement said. "Anyone assisting third-party adjusters attempting to settle claims on behalf of claimants could also be charged with aiding and abetting in this illegal activity."
Tony McLain, the bar’s general counsel, said that even giving advice on how to negotiate with an insurance company could be a crime. "If they’re giving you legal advice, that’s practice of law," he said.
McLain said that Alabama’s law against unlicensed lawyering is broad. The law says in part that non-lawyers can’t get paid to "adjust" disputed "claims," in a situation where the non-lawyer isn’t the person making the claim or an employee of a company making the claim.
Others disagree with that stance.
Brian Goodman, a lawyer for the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters, says that even though its members aren’t licensed by Alabama, the association maintains that such work is "perfectly legal" everywhere.
Ridling said he believed that public adjusters could advise policyholders, but probably couldn’t negotiate directly with insurers.
Ridling submitted a May 23 request to Attorney General Luther Strange for an opinion on whether public adjusters are legal here. Ridling wrote in part that the department believed public adjusters would level the field for policyholders by giving "Alabama consumers access to the type of adjusting experience and expertise that insurers already have."
Ridling also asked Strange whether, if public adjusters were legal, the state could quickly regulate them by decree under its emergency management law.
But Ridling withdrew the request for an attorney general’s opinion on June 21. His chief of staff, Ragan Ingram, said that Ridling decided to pursue a "legislative solution" instead.
"We believe clarity on this matter is important and are seeking the best path to get there," Ingram wrote in an email.
Bills to license and regulate public adjusters were introduced in the recently concluded legislative session by state Rep. Steve McMillan, R-Gulf Shores, and state Sen. Ben Brooks, R-Mobile. Neither of those bills made it out of committee.
McMillan said he introduced the bill at the request of Dave Stewart and George Harris, Alabama lobbyists for the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters. But they asked him not to move the bill because they couldn’t get agreement from interested parties, he said.
"We are trying to pass this model bill that would provide some teeth to the Department of Insurance to weed out bad actors," Harris said.
McLain said the bar wasn’t consulted about the bill. Though it believes public adjusters are now illegal, McLain said the bar is not opposed to legalizing and licensing them. "No, not at all," he said.
Kabitzke declined to comment on whether insurers opposed the bill. "We will look at the issue again the upcoming session," she said.
Ridling’s letter to Strange indicated that the Insurance Department supported the bill, and said it was largely based on a model law developed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
(Birmingham News Staff Writer Mike Oliver contributed to this report.) | <urn:uuid:cdc0418b-a035-44c7-a416-85f4d15d5429> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blog.al.com/live/2011/07/public_insurance_adjusters_cal.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965589 | 1,330 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Many Baby Boomers are facing heavy debt loads as they approach retirement age. / Thinkstock
Baby Boomers, forget about retirement. We'll be working for the rest of our lives.
OK, that may be an exaggeration, but not by much.
We have not saved enough money. And worse, many of us will still be up to our eyeballs in debt when we do retire. We're just one medical emergency away from bankruptcy.
According to Boomers and Retirement, a new survey by TD Ameritrade, the average Baby Boomer is about a half-million dollars short on retirement savings.
And 74% of Boomers in the survey say they will have to rely heavily on Social Security in retirement. (The average Social Security check, by the way, is $1,230 a month.)
USA TODAY reported just last week that more people are delaying retirement and continuing to work past 65 mostly because they need the money. According to 2010 Census data, the share of workers 65 and older in the labor force rose to 16%, up from 12% in 1990.
"We will have to work a lot longer and get by with less," says Olivia Mitchell, professor of economics and executive director of Pension Research Council at Wharton School of Business.
"It's just getting a lot more expensive to be old than it used to be," she says.
The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), which helps people who are having trouble paying their bills, says one-third of its 3 million clients nationwide last year were 55 or older, up 7 percentage points in two years. Nearly 15% are over 65. That's scary.
"That is a point in life when most folks thought debt would be the last thing on their minds," says Gail Cunningham, NFCC vice president.
Even more troubling: Nearly a third of the NFCC clients who file for bankruptcy are 50 and older. "In their golden years they are filing for bankruptcy," Cunningham says. "That is very disturbing."
American Consumer Credit Counseling, which says 25% of its clients are 55 and older, paints a similar picture. Seniors are going into retirement still carrying debt, including mortgages, credit card debt and student loan debt. They are depleting their savings and retirement accounts just to make ends meet.
"Seniors are not able to retire when they are eligible to retire because they can't afford to make ends meet," says Katie Ross, education and development manger at ACCC. "They are still paying student loan debt off for their family members."
Other troubling signs of a crisis to come:
â?¢ Most workers in a survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute say they have virtually no savings or investments. And 37% of those surveyed in the 2012 Retirement Confidence Survey think they will have to wait until after age 65 to retire.
â?¢ 34% of older Americans used credit cards to pay for basic living expenses, such as mortgage payments, groceries and utilities, according to research conducted AARP. As a result, they had average credit card debt of about $8,248. About half of the people over 50 in the survey were called by debt collectors, the study says.
â?¢ New data from EBRI show debt has actually increased for retirees 75 and older, including housing debt. Craig Copeland, senior research associate, says it's not clear why, but it may be because of health care costs.
This is certainly not what Baby Boomers expected.
"You would expect more people to incur more debt early in life, rather than later," Mitchell says. "That's when you might not have a lot of money, you have student loans, a family and a mortgage payment," she says. "The idea was that you would pay off your house as you grow older. You would pay off credit cards when you hit peak earnings years, and when you moved into retirement you would do it mortgage-free and debt-free."
But that changed in a dramatic fashion, partly because of the financial meltdown and housing crisis. Many people thought they had savings in the equity in their homes. People refinanced, took out home-equity loans and spent.
"The deflating of the housing bubble meant Boomers were hitting retirement age with less in assets than they expected," Mitchell says. "That was a cold bath of water."
So, how can we get out of this mess?
We can turn more to financial planners and consumer organizations for help in retirement planning. But, at this point, there are no easy answers.
"Some people may have to take on a part-time job," says EBRI's Copeland. "They may have to alter what they thought they could do. They certainly aren't going to be able to take a lot of vacations."
"One possible answer is they just shouldn't retire," she says. "They should just wait. If you claim Social Security benefits at 70, instead of 62, your benefits are 70% higher. Some people can't (put off retirement). But many people can do it, and you should plan to do that."
Copyright 2013 USATODAY.com
Read the original story: Retirement Living: Debt holds many Boomers back | <urn:uuid:469b5dc0-eca4-437a-a10c-481164841758> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.dnj.com/usatoday/article/1840225?odyssey=mod_sectionstories | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00011-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983528 | 1,077 | 1.8125 | 2 |
Atlas Township hunters Rob Schroeder (left) and Dell Tanner pose with the buck Tanner shot in 2007. Schroeder's dogs, Lance and Bianca, tracked the wounded deer.
ATLAS TOWNSHIP, Michigan
-- It took Coltan Hadsell three tries to get his very first deer just before dark last Sunday during the annual Youth Hunt. Thanks to the well-trained nose of a friend's German shepherd, he didn't have to worry about losing it.
"We went out about 5:30 p.m. We were up in the tree stand about 15 feet. I wasn't expecting to see anything, and after awhile I fell asleep," said the 11-year-old Goodrich sixth-grader. "My dad woke me and I grabbed my bow and stood up. I shot the first time and missed. The second time I missed, and they moved off a little. I was shaking, but I settled down by the third shot. I hit her right in the shoulder."
It was a well-placed shot through the shoulder and into the lung. Even though the doe bolted into the woods, they knew she wouldn't go far. But it was already getting dark.
Kurt Lancewicz, Coltan's dad, simply picked up his cellphone and made a call to his buddy, Rob Schroeder, to head over with his dog Lance.
"They got there in 15 or 20 minutes and we went out with flashlights. It was pretty cool watching him track the deer. He'd follow the blood trail, curve off, figure out his mistake and come back," said Coltan.
In about 20 minutes, Lance had found the doe, lying in a thicket about 250 yards from the site of Coltan's shot.
• A dog can be used in hunting deer only to locate a downed or mortally wounded deer.
• The dog must be kept on a leash.
• None of the people in attendance may possess a firearm or bow and arrow.
• If the tracking is done at night, artificial lights ordinarily carried in the hand may be used.
• A dog that barks while tracking the deer can not be used on public lands.
Source: State Department of Natural Resources
"I don't know if they would've found it if the dog hadn't come," said Tanya Lancewicz, Coltan's mom. "It was in a thicket a couple feet high. I don't think they could've seen it, the way it was under the brush and stuff. It had just gone under there and died."
The doe weighed in about 150 pounds, Coltan said proudly.
"We're getting it cut up into steaks and hamburg. But my dad said he's gonna go buy a treat for the dog."
Schroeder began using his first German shepherd, Bianca, years ago.
"I was losing deer I couldn't find. And I thought, I've got this German shepherd that can find a tennis ball anywhere. I'm gonna train her. So I got me a book and that's what I did," said the Atlas Township hunter.
It wasn't as easy as he makes it sound, of course. It took months of hard work, he said, and various techniques including tying a chunk of venison to his boot and dragging it through the brush.
But once the dog was trained, it worked like magic, he said. Before long, Schroeder had stopped losing wounded deer and friends were calling for help when they lost theirs.
"The next thing you know, I'm placing cards out at Brown's Hardware in Goodrich," said Schroeder, laughing. "Now I charge $50 and I get called probably 30-40 times a year, mainly during bow season."
He doesn't guarantee success, he said, but he's generally able to find the deer about 75 percent of the time.
"I follow all the DNR rules. It has to have a mortal shot, and I'm careful about not going on private property. You also can't have a weapon with you. The dog does not chase the deer down. The dog has to be on a leash at all times and the dog cannot bark," said Schroeder. "If the deer isn't dead when we find it, then the hunter goes back and gets his weapon while I stay within contact of the animal. Then I get out of the way and leave while he finishes his hunt."
Success is more likely if he's called out within a reasonable amount of time -- less than six hours, he said.
"I have started one overnight before. It all depends on how much deer activity is around. If it was just that one deer in that area, that's better. But if there's been a lot of overnight activity, it's harder because the dog doesn't just work off a blood trail and it can get confusing for him."
To contact Rob Schroeder 24 hours, seven days a week: (810) 444-8462
Most tracks take less than three hours.
"I tell hunters if you can't find it in two hours, you're probably not going to," he said.
Schroeder said he's on call 24 hours a day.
"When in doubt, stop and call me. And call before you tramp all over the woods. If you go with six of your buddies out in the woods smashing the ground down, my dog runs in circles," he said. "There's always one guy steps in a puddle of blood and wanders all over with blood on his boot. That's what I want to avoid." | <urn:uuid:29dab223-10bd-47f4-b0e2-dc60729b7679> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2008/10/a_nose_for_does_dog_tracks_dow.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703298047/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112138-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987979 | 1,165 | 1.789063 | 2 |
A friend of mine reminded me of a post that I wrote many years ago (five, by my reckoning) with which I no longer entirely agree.
The post was entitled, “Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now” and it’s main line of argument was that people should not try to control where their content appears on the web.
My reasoning was threefold. First, if people are citing your content, or, really, reproducing lengthy citations from it, on their site then (a) that may fall under the doctrine of “fair use” and (b) as long as they are attributing it to you and linking back to the original, that should be fine.
Second, I invoked John Perry Barlow and asserted that “giving it away” was the wave of the future and that companies should share content freely and focus on making money from inimitable products or services. As an illustration, I referred the Grateful Dead’s willingness to allow taping at their concerts while charging for attendance at said concerts.
Finally, I argued that, since every page on the web is literally one click away from any other page, the very notion of a “site” is questionable. That is, in a sense, the web is the site, so quibbling about where content appears (on this site or that site) misses something fundamental about how the web works (or, more accurately, how the very nature of the web calls into question the absolute location of any particular piece of content).
Dissenting from Myself
As I mentioned, I wrote the original piece a long time ago and my thoughts on copyright and control of content have in the interim shifted somewhat.
For example, a little over two years ago I started working for an online publisher and came to experience first hand what it’s like when someone scrapes your content and publishes it in it’s entirety to their site (and not always with proper attribution). Aside from blatant issues of copyright infringement, there is an actual business impact to this sort of thievery to the degree that the stealing site reaps the SEO reward of your content, on the one hand, but can also bring Google penalties down on your site for publishing “duplicate content.” (If any SEOs are reading this and I’m getting this wrong, please school me in the comments.)
My thoughts on digital copyright have also been influenced by Robert Levine’s book Free Ride, in which he convincingly argues that, rather than a question of free speech or freedom of information, the people calling most vocally for “freedom of content” are actually huge businesses (Google and Apple, among them) who sell services or products that benefit from unlimited access to content. If you can fill an iPod with music you downloaded illegally from the web, or use Google to find such music, the argument goes, then the content creator’s loss is the gain of Google and Apple.
Finally, I think that, underlying my argument, was the notion that “content is going to be stolen, so don’t build your business around ownership of content,” which is really more an expression of resigned acceptance than an actual argument.
All That’s Solid
We live in a world in which things that used to be concrete—books, records, movies, etc.—and relatively difficult to reproduce and distribute, now exist as configurations of electricity that can be replicated at will and accessed from anywhere. The obstinacy of matter that once offered some protection to works of imagination, intellect, technical proficiency and physical prowess, has evaporated.
We are in the midst of dealing with the repercussions of this technological turn of events and the end is not yet in sight. Organizations and individuals are experimenting with a variety of methods for tracking, tagging and getting paid for access to content, but there is no perfect solution yet that can prevent people from “taking” whatever content they like. In fact, these people can easily feel little guilt for doing so because, in the end, they aren’t “taking” anything at all; they are merely copying or reproducing, as I said, a “configuration of electricity.”
Should someone who has recorded a piece of music or written a book or produced a film be able to control access to their work? I believe that they should.
Can they now? Not entirely.
Will they be able to do so in the future? I am not certain and tend to think that, if the work can be copied and distributed electronically, then it will always be, to a greater or lesser degree, beyond their control.
Image from the Public Domain | <urn:uuid:300b668f-8ca1-49c2-8327-00f47076be97> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.matthewtgrant.com/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705953421/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120553-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.958229 | 980 | 1.5 | 2 |
I think one of the most overlooked areas in photography may be the sky. It could be that due to the vastness of the subject, most captures rarely pick up what the eye is actually seeing and the photos fail to show the depth of the clouds or the amazingly vibrant colors tend to be flat.
The sky, just like the weather, here in Wisconsin changes often. Clear blue skies can change to dark clouds in a matter of minutes and then change back as if it never happened. To be honest, I found this a great challenge. At first I was so frustrated, trying to capture color, depth and clarity of what was an amazing sky. My eyes saw so much, my camera processed so little.
After many many many attempts to find the settings I needed, I was finally rewarded with some results. You'd be surprised what a good point and shoot can do once it's user learns a few things. I used my Canon point and shoot for these, not my DSLR.
I changed my white balance setting to Tungsten (which I rarely use). I disabled my flash and set my ISO at about 800 (to let more natural light into my camera). I also used Landscape focus mode in my manual program settings. That is why the background is more clear (farther away) than the tree branches (closer).
Again white balance set to Tungsten, flashed disabled, ISO changed to 600 and Macro focus settings used. Nothing here is really in great focus, color is a little more skewed. Depth is still here but in a much softer way.
Lastly, white balance setting changed to Vivid, flash enabled, ISO 400 and Manual focus used. Everything but the sky is more detailed, colors fairly accurate too.
I did not use zoom on these. I find when taking more of a landscape, sky shot it rarely picks up depth and most often really skews colors.
Maybe some of these tips will help you? I hope so! These settings will also work with a DSLR and most lenses.
I can't choose a favorite, I like them all for different reasons. What's yours?
Oh and Happy Friday! Thanks so much for stopping by!
I linked up with Skywatch Friday. | <urn:uuid:926b1d6f-0954-457e-940c-0385cfe6e555> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://meandmytadpole.blogspot.com/2011/11/wisconsin-autumn-sunrise.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959022 | 458 | 1.570313 | 2 |
The EOF professional staff provides services that include:
(click link for more information)
Pre-Freshman Orientation: (Held in July-Aug for approx. 2 weeks.)
New EOF students are expected to attend the Pre-Freshman Orientation program. The purpose of this orientation is to be a bridge to introduce the students to college life and to help the students prepare for college level work.
Interactive sessions include:
- EOF program & CCM processes
- Transition to college
- College performance enhancement: Self-exploration & Awareness and Career & Life skills development
The EOF program pays for all of the costs of attending the summer session. Students who successfully complete the summer session will receive a stipend to defray the miscellaneous expenses of attending. Stipends will be disbursed after the completion of the pre-freshman orientation.
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Academic Support Services
The academic support services to the EOF students help them to reach their full academic potential so that they can successfully complete their college courses and earn a college degree or certificate. EOF students are expected to comply with the academic performance standards defined by the County College of Morris. Students are expected to successfully complete each course they are enrolled in with a passing grade. To this end, the following academic support services exist to assist the EOF students in meeting these goals.
EOF students meet with the assigned counselor on a regular basis for academic guidance. That includes discussing educational and career goals, making certain that the student is taking the right courses required of the chosen major in order to complete a degree or certificate. Assistance is provided each semester with course selection and registration in collaboration with appropriate faculty advisors.
EOF students who are required to take basic skills (non-credit) courses and/or are experiencing difficulty in their classes are expected to attend tutoring sessions at a minimum of once a week. The focus of tutoring will be determined as reported in the Student Progress Reports provided by each professor.
Tutoring resources on campus include the Math Center, Writing Center, the Science Center and the Offices of Disability Services. Professional tutors (faculty) and peer tutors are available to meet with students as their individual schedules will allow.
Online Academic Support:
The EOF Office is also available 24/7 via Blackboard Learn, CCM’s educational platform for students taking online and/or hybrid courses. All EOF students will have access to our EOF Blackboard Course Shell “EOF Program & Resources Online.” Here our students can enhance their academic skills and improve areas of weaknesses. We have tutorials, exercises, recommended readings and online videos on relevant topics students continue to need support like: Time Management, Motivation, Concentration, Study Skills, Testing, Attitude, and also on subject based studying for Math, Science, English and Languages. We also include a counselor section with student’s frequently asked questions, resources for financial aid, scheduling tutoring appointments and much more.
The EOF program offers developmental workshops designed with diverse needs and interests of the students in mind. Attendance at workshops is expected and monitored. A typical workshop schedule might include topics such as financial management, relationships, resume writing and interview skills, test anxiety, and leadership skills.
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The EOF counselor is committed to helping students deal with problems and situations that may exist in daily life that serve as obstacles to good academic performance. Personal counseling is provided to help students explore the options available to resolve issues, as needed and may result in collaboration with the CCM Counseling Services Office or referrals to outside resources for help.
Students are encouraged to pursue co-ops and internships, and to register with the job placement service through the Career Services Office. Assistance is provided with resume preparation and interviewing skills if the students expect to go straight into the work place following graduation.
Financial Aid counseling
is provided to help ensure that the funding is received as a necessity for handling the costs associated with attending college. Students are assisted with the financial aid application and renewal process with advocacy provided when difficulties arise that are beyond the scope of the students' ability to handle complications in processing.
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Graduation and Transfer Preparation
The goal of graduation and transfer preparation offered by the EOF staff is to make sure that the student is in a transfer curriculum that will best prepare him/her for the intended major when transferring after graduation to a four year college or university. EOF counselors will assist students to clarify their goals and obtain accurate transfer information. The graduation and transfer preparation process will be monitored carefully to ensure that transfer procedures are carefully followed. The EOF staff will help to ensure a smooth transition from the two year to the four year institution of choice. | <urn:uuid:c24bc3b4-ab6e-4362-8984-e1076e2db481> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ccm.edu/studentLife/CampusServices/EOF/Services.aspx | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706153698/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516120913-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951578 | 977 | 1.632813 | 2 |
Alpha & Omega Ministries Apologetics Blog
Musings On Anti-Catholicism
01/11/2008 - James SwanIt's all too easy to get caught up in rhetoric and ad hominem with someone presenting a counter position. Paul instructs Christians to slander no one, and to be peaceable and considerate as we strive to show true humility toward all men (Titus 3:2). This goal can be easily forgotten. Particularly in written dialog, things we write not intended as offensive can come across as such when analyzed by those being written to or about.
I've recently been dialoging with a Catholic apologist over historical citations and context accuracy. During this discussion, levels of frustration have been met on both sides. I wonder if sometimes that level is reached because we build a picture of a person within our minds, and then read everything they write according to that image. Of course, this is simply human nature, and it is not necessarily a bad thing. God has given us reason, and we are to use that reason. However, I think humility requires we sit back at times and makes sure our characterization of our opponents is based in reality.
I have found that Roman Catholics have developed a notion of "anti-Catholic," and once that label gets slapped on, whatever one may write against Rome is interpreted in the worst possible way. I stand firmly with those who believe Rome teaches a false gospel. Therefore, what may come across to Catholics as anti-Catholic, I view as defending my faith against those I believe are putting forth material not glorifying to Jesus Christ. When I say this, I am not in any way implying that I hate Catholics. I do not agree with what they stand for, but this does not mean I hate them collectively, including their zealous apologists.
In this particular recent dialog with a Catholic apologist, I found a section in which the "group think" of the Roman Catholic mind came clearly to the front. I could see how my writings against Catholicism were viewed with distrust, and that my motivations were taken in the worst possible way. This particular apologist had taken snippet-sentences of my writings, and had made some striking conclusions as to my nature and intent. Here are two examples, with an explanation of what I meant, as well as the Catholic interpretation.
I stated once, "Won't somebody in Catholic apologetics do the right thing?", "Here I was said to be implying a "moral lapse" in Catholic apologists. However, if you read the context of this comment, I then went on to explain, "I have stated more than once, that these Catholic apologists, when going to print with their books, claiming to be deep in history is to cease being Protestant, should live up to their standards. If they make a historical statement, they should go deep into history to validate that statement when challenged." The charge was directed towards a particular apologist who would not admit he had hadn't actually read the source he had quoted, and how those within Catholic apologetics involved in this dispute would not admit his mistake.
I stated once, "One may think I'm nitpicking, and this is an isolated incident. . . . The current trend in Catholic apologetics is to throw Luther quotes in, regardless of what Luther actually said." The analysis given to these words was that I assert "absolute incompetence bordering on culpable irresponsibility." Note particularly the "..." These little dots mean something was left out. I was responding to Steve Ray's 11 page PDF response to my charges, and if you were to just read this little snippet, you would never realize I was quoted out of context. I actually said, "After sifting through eleven pages, I still doubt that Steve Ray cares about his methodology. Rather than simply admitting he hasn't read 'Epis. ad. Zwingli' and has no idea as to what Luther actually said on this or where he said it, I received back eleven pages of obfuscation. One may think I'm nitpicking, and this is an isolated incident. I recently checked another Luther quote used by Mr. Ray and came up with the same conclusion- Mr Ray didn't actually read what Luther said. The current trend in Catholic apologetics is to throw Luther quotes in, regardless of what Luther actually said." One can see, I noted a trend, and made specific assertions of a Catholic apologsit in particular. Interestingly, the Catholic apologist mis-citing my words above agreed with me that Steve Ray hadn't read the context of the quote he was using.
So in the mind of this particular Catholic apologist, my words are taken and morphed into something not intended. In my treatments of Luther and the Catholic usage thereof, he views my purpose to be none other than to chastise Catholics as "incompetent or even dishonest" and that I have a "strong polemical purpose to run down Catholic apologists." Obviously, this particular Catholic apologist failed to remember the paper of mine he used to link to approvingly on his website: The Roman Catholic Perspective of Martin Luther (Part Two). In this paper, I pointed out "There is a wealth of Roman Catholic authors whose opinions and research are worthy of a close look." Even more recently in a discussion with Catholic apologist Art Sippo on Luther biographies, I had to defend Catholic historian Joseph Lortz against the vitriol of Sippo. Obviously, I'm not the awful Catholic-hater I'm being painted to be.
For those you engaged in the evangelizing of Roman Catholics, keep in mind that your words might not make it to home plate so to speak. It's easy to get frustrated when a negative caricature is put forth about your motivations. Go into each discussion prayerfully and humbly, and most of all have the discussion for no other reason than to bring glory to God. This means that while the temptation to bite back may well up inside, consider that as Christians we're to expect strong opposition. You're getting back exactly what you're supposed to get back. God uses us, the weak vessels we are, to be salt and light. Pray that in each situation, you will be exactly that. | <urn:uuid:5057cce9-8890-4023-8e37-c89862056e9b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.aomin.org/aoblog/index.php?itemid=2444&catid=7 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00009-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.977478 | 1,268 | 1.679688 | 2 |
Pro-Israeli Media Coverage
Pro-Israeli Media Coverage
by Stephen Lendman
Gaza rockets respond defensively to provocative Israeli bombing and shelling. Blame the victim articles and commentaries follow.
It's standard Western media practice. Haaretz knows better.
More below on woeful coverage.
Since Saturday, Israeli air strikes killed at least seven Palestinians, injured dozens more, and damaged or destroyed civilian property. Israel committed war crimes. Media reports ignored them. War winds blow ominously.
In early November, Israel dropped leaflets on Gaza. Palestinians were warned about popular resistance militancy. They were also told not to approach border areas on their own land.
In January 2009, post-Cast Lead, similar leaflets were dropped. Gazans were told not to come within 300 meters of the border. Security forces would target anyone trying.
Israel's buffer zone strategy is lawless and belligerent. It's enforced to provoke conflict. Farmers are shot in their fields. So are children there for any reason. Soldiers kill them for target practice. Fishermen are accosted at sea. Some are killed.
Palestinians are maliciously targeted for whatever reasons Israel chooses. Doing so provokes responses. Under international law, the right of self-defense is sacrosanct. Israel calls it terrorism. Bombing, shelling, and at times war follow.
A week before the latest Israeli attacks, Israelis near Gaza's border wrote Netanyahu and Defense Minister Barak, saying:
"We, members of 'The Other Voice' from the communities near the Gaza Strip, urge the Government of Israel to stop playing with our lives, and immediately open diplomatic contacts with the Hamas government!"
"We are tired of being sitting ducks in a shooting range serving political interests. Missiles from there and bombing from here do not protect us."
"This country has tried long enough, over years, the games of war and of brute force. Both sides have paid, and are still paying, a high price of suffering and loss."
"It's time to talk and strive for long-term understandings which will enable citizens on both sides of the border to live a normal life."
"Other Voice" residents live in Sderot. It's close to Gaza's border. They maintain contact with Palestinians. They promote good relations and dialogue.
They call for "creative action" for long-term solutions. They want civilians on both sides of the border safe from ongoing conflict.
They hope one day regional calm and peace will replace confrontation and violence. They recognize and reject Palestinian suffering. They believe both sides can find solutions.
"The shared pain and shared hopes are the building blocks upon which we can stop the vicious circle of fear and suffering and build a new and better future."
They urge Israeli and world leaders to work for peace and "bring hope back into the lives of" ordinary Palestinians and Jews.
Human tragedy accompanies conflict. Media reports ignore it. Israeli missiles, shells and bullets killing Palestinian children get scant attention.
Thirteen year old Hamid Abu Daqqa died a few hours after being shot in the head. His offense was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the past week, Israel killed six other Palestinian teenagers.
Haaretz prioritized other reporting. On November 13, it headlined "Between violence on Gaza border and Syria tension, Israel mulls next move," saying:
"It seems Netanyahu would rather avoid a significant operation in the Strip, which is why the logical course of action for him would be to increase aerial strikes."
Israel plans new "offensive measures against Hamas and the other Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip, amid continued fire from the coastal enclave…."
Targeted air strikes and assassinations are likely. Israeli military and government officials met to consider options.
"(S)ignificant military action can be expected in the near future….(The) moment of truth is drawing closer."
Netanyahu said the "world has to understand that Israel has the right and the duty to defend its citizens. We will not sit idly by. We will act to stop this situation."
Premeditated aggression is called self-defense. Haaretz failed to notice. Instead it said "Israeli action would be to restore quiet to the Gaza border…."
A Haaretz editorial was no better. Headlined "The limits of deterrence," it said:
"The State of Israel is not entitled to let thousands of its citizens live under fire."
Ignored was that rocket fire follows Israeli provocations. Self-defense is inviolable.
Haaretz stressed the limits of blockade, border fences, bombing and shelling, as well as targeted killing. These and other measures haven't "deterred the Gaza terrorist organizations from attacking Israel…."
Like Western media, Haaretz calls Palestinian resistance fighters "terrorists." It knows better but does it anyway.
It also doesn't call Israeli force lawless aggression. At the same time, it advocates alternative options to achieve "a more submissive enemy."
Hamas is Palestine's legitimate government. It wants the same rights as other sovereign states. So do all Palestinians. They're entitled to them.
Harsh occupation, siege, and provocative Israeli belligerence deny them. Like Western media, Haaretz blames the victims.
So does the Jerusalem Post (JP). It's more hardline. An op-ed headlined "Living under Hamas's rockets."
JP calls Hamas leaders "terrorists." They "crave power….It isn't their own sons they send on suicide missions….(A)narchy in the Strip would bode ill for Israel…."
"Not a day goes by without (southern Israel) being attacked from within the Strip."
"Hamas (has) the best of both worlds - terror attacks continue, and its power isn't threatened."
This is what passes for most Israeli journalism. Ugly distortion and lies substitute for vital truths. More bombing, shelling and perhaps Cast Lead 2.0 is suggested to stop "terror." Many, perhaps most, Israelis support it.
A JP editorial headlined "Explaining Gaza," saying"
Israel should enlist international community support before launching another major military operation. Gaza rocket fire was called "unprovoked." Israelis live under "constant fear."
Gaza "terrorists" bear full responsibility, said JP editors. It's "not the first time (they) purposely target(ed) Israeli civilians."
Netanyahu and likeminded officials plan escalated deterrence. Israel "has a moral obligation to protect its citizens from terrorist aggression."
JP editors invoked the "responsibility to protect (R2P)" canard. Imperial powers use it to wage wars. JP barely stopped short of urging it. If it's planned, it said, world support should be enlisted in advance.
On November 13, Israel National News headlined "Barak: It's not Over," saying:
"Defense Minister hint(ed) that IDF plans action against Gaza, (but) won't give details." Following a "situation assessment" meeting, Barak said:
"A proper, professional and systematic operation is being undertaken here, in which the Hamas and terror organizations in Gaza are being hit hard, but the matter is definitely not over and we will decide how and when to act once the need arises."
"I do not want to discuss the date nor the means, because it would be wrong to supply this information to the other side."
"Under no circumstances do we accept the harm to the way of life of civilians on our side of the border, and we intend to bring back deterrence and strengthen it in a way that will make it possible to act along the perimeter fence, in a way that will better ensure the safety of the soldiers who operate on all sides of the Gaza Strip."
"Hamas, in our eyes, is responsible for everything that happens in Gaza, even when it is carried out by other organizations, and it will not get away with this."
Western media ignored a near declaration of war or military action perhaps approaching it. Consider the timing. On November 29, Abbas will seek non-member UN observer status. He'll likely get it.
Israel is in full battle mode against it. So is Washington. Both countries threaten retaliatory measures. Bombing and shelling provocations called self-defense may be part of Netanyahu's strategy.
Israeli leaders often escalate violence to serve state interests. Each time self-defense is claimed. Sabotaging Palestine's UN bid is prioritized. Israel may wage war to prevent it.
Days earlier, US ambassador Michael Oren called upgraded Palestinian UN status Israel's top immediate concern. "We regard this with the utmost seriousness," he said.
He and other Israeli officials are pressuring world leaders for support. Palestinian UN observer status would be "calamitous," said Oren.
At issue is greater potential clout if Palestinian leaders wish to use it. Israel could be sued in the Hague for war crimes.
Someone other than Abbas would have to do it. He's a longtime Israeli collaborator. He's also aging and plans to retire. When is unknown. Perhaps sometime next year.
Israel takes no chances. Expect anything to maintain occupation control. Bombing and shelling Gaza ahead of greater belligerence may be planned.
Western media barely notice. Days of bombing and shelling got scant coverage. Palestinians are blamed for Israeli provocations.
Dismissively, The New York Times referred to "growing volatility along the border between Israel and Gaza." A confrontational atmosphere "simmer(ed) for months."
Hamas, other "radical groups," and "several militants inspired by Al Qaeda" are blamed. Inflammatory buzzwords demonize Israeli and UN enemies for propaganda purposes. Vital truths are suppressed.
Western media report this way in lockstep. State-controlled BBC is no better. On November 12, it headlined "Israel hit by fresh volley of rockets from Gaza."
Distorted coverage followed. What readers, listeners and viewers most need to know is suppressed. BBC is notorious for its pro-Israeli bias. So is virtually the entire Western media establishment.
Truth is willfully suppressed. Victims are called terrorists. Willful aggression is reported as self-defense. Most people believe lies repeated often enough. Media scoundrels feature them ad nauseam.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at email@example.com.
His new book is titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War"
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. | <urn:uuid:0fb01965-b703-4319-a4a5-4a2adcbd6ab3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://warisacrime.org/content/pro-israeli-media-coverage | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00014-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950271 | 2,221 | 1.507813 | 2 |
I’ve been interviewing college grads in their 20′s for my upcoming book and career curriculum In the Driver’s Seat: Work-Life Navigation Skills for Young Adults. And one of the things I’m finding is that not everyone who’s “successful” at 28 attended a top college. This is not surprising but definitely merits conversation.
Bay Area career coach Marty Nemko has some interesting statistics on his website. For example, ”A study reported in the American Economic Review concluded that even in terms of earnings, “What matters most is not which college you attend, but what you did while you were there. (That means choosing a strong major, choosing professors carefully, getting involved in leadership activities, getting to know professors)…
This is not a new conversation, yet given the recession of the past two years both parents and teens continue to be occupied with the broader issue of how to reconcile their ideal with what has become an unaffordable education.
The media is listening and families are voting with their feet. A September article from the Wall Street Journal cites Recruiters’ Top 25 Schools —most of them state schools offering a good education at a relatively affordable price. CBS News reported last year that applications were down at top liberal arts colleges in favor of state schools.
What do you think? Many of those I interviewed were saddled with steep loans in their 20’s, and either had taken jobs that paid better—even if it wasn’t their first choice—or were happy in their jobs but worried about their future ability to remain solvent.
But the broader question of whether it’s “worth it” to attend a top college at top dollar is still on the table, and I suggest that it depends. If you’re a self-starter, as Marty Nemko points out, you can probably succeed anywhere. If not, then you’ll need more hand-holding, which may cost more money.
If you can afford it, there are many arguments for attending a top name school: among them, long-term brand recognition, prestige, connections, alumni network, etc. The most important thing, though, ultimately, is to get the degree. What do you think? | <urn:uuid:783f05f7-5e3e-4968-8c3b-51b68a0b1911> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.allisoncheston.com/in-praise-of-%e2%80%9cgood-enough%e2%80%9d-schools/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00015-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97496 | 466 | 1.601563 | 2 |
U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Pat Toomey, R-Penn. and Mark Kirk, R-Ill. on Thursday introduced the Shaheen-Kirk Sugar Reform Act, legislation to reform domestic supply restrictions, lower price support levels and "ensure adequate sugar supplies at reasonable prices."
The proposal would roll back provisions added in 2008 that bill supporters say "unfairly benefit wealthy sugar farmers at the expense of consumers."
"American families are footing the bill for an outdated program that offers a sweet deal to a small group of sugar growers and processors. No program should be immune to updates or improvements," Shaheen said.
The bill is also supported by Congressmen Joe Pitts, R-Penn., Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore. and Danny Davis, D-Ill.
Shaheen says the federal sugar program, which currently employs a limit on sugar imports and encourages higher prices for domestic sugar, has cost consumers and businesses an estimated $14 billion over the last 4 years, and 112,000 jobs have been lost in sugar-using industries between 1997-2009.
However, an opponent of the reform plan, the American Sugar Alliance, has long held the stance that sugar reform benefits consumers, operating at no cost to taxpayers.
ASA says the program helps counter subsidies by foreign competitors like Brazil, and ensures consistent domestic supplies at consistent prices.
Jobs also key sticking point
Another reform opponent, the American Sugarbeet Growers, says that demand for domestic sugar without the policy in place would eliminate rural farming jobs. However, reform proponents use a similar argument, noting that American manufacturing jobs are lost because more candy is being made overseas to avoid American sugar prices.
"Left unchanged, the current sugar program will continue to hurt American workers by driving good American manufacturing jobs to Canada, Mexico, and other foreign countries. Left unchanged, the current sugar program will continue to hurt American consumers by unnecessarily inflating the price of every product made with sugar. It is time to change this anachronistic program," Rep. Davis said.
Sugar reform has seen its fair share of Congressional action – Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., offered a similar measure last year as an amendment to the House Farm Bill, though it was voted down 10-36, and a Senate Farm Bill amendment in 2012 was also voted down 50-46. Sen. Shaheen also introduced a sugar reform bill in January, 2011. | <urn:uuid:80fb922c-9d37-47cd-a5e9-11a75aa376f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://farmprogress.com/story-congressmen-push-sugar-reform-8-94970 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00019-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954129 | 511 | 1.828125 | 2 |
First of all, some basic concepts about Windows machines/domains you need to know (and may or may not already know):
Computers are security principals just like users
Names are just human-friendly references to an underlying SID
Computers authenticate to the domain on startup
Computers accounts have password too (that change every 30 days by default)
Basically, what happened when you jammed the old VHD in your machine is (I'm betting), the local password for the computer account failed to match the password the DC had for the computer account, because the password got changed sometime between the backup you did and the time you restored it. As a result, the Domain Controller wouldn't let the computer authenticate, and the error you see is a failed trust relationship.
This relies on an assumption or two, most notably that your backup and the machine that failed didn't have different SIDs, which will also break the domain trust. That commonly happens when you rename a computer or join a computer to a domain with the same name as an existing account. The newly renamed computer will try to authenticate with its new SID, but the name maps to the old SID, so when AD checks, the SIDs don't match and the authentication fails.
So either way, you basically broke authentication between your VM and the domain when you "restored" the old backup. I trust you can see why that's bad. (It's less bad if it was just the machine password, and not a different SID, which is worth mentioning.)
Why it's "bad practice" to do as you did is subjective and will get different answers (or different specific concerns) from different admins, but my answer would basically be that it's bad practice because there's a better way to do it that doesn't break domain authentication or add complexity and unknowns into the mix. (How old was the backup? What changed on the system between then and now? What's relying on those changes that could break or cause monstrously difficult to troubleshoot issues? etc.) It's also bad practice because it sounds like you don't have actual, effective backups, or a quick process to restore from [a real] backup if/when needed. That's very bad, for reasons I hope you don't need clarification on.
Having said all that, it sounds like you're relatively safe. (Assuming, of course, the old backup isn't missing a bunch of SQL data, or has an older version of something installed, or anything basic like that.) The different computer account password won't be referenced anywhere, and generally your computer's full SID isn't going be referenced by much outside of AD either, so changing it shouldn't cause problems. (But like any admin who's been around the block once or twice, I've seen stuff that would make your blood curdle and results in my qualifying what would otherwise be absolute statements.)
Hope that's helpful. | <urn:uuid:ffbe5d12-65b9-40ce-ab55-05b618917324> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://serverfault.com/questions/409650/restarting-a-vm-from-a-different-vhd-file-but-a-copy-of-the-old-one | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968185 | 605 | 1.710938 | 2 |
I am used to getting an average of 1 pound of cheese per gallon of milk when using my cow's fresh, raw milk. Yesterday, I used 5 1/2 gallons of milk to make a Gouda. There was no way I could fit all of the curd into my 6 inch wide, 8 inch tall mold. Normally, I can push them down with my hand and get all of them to fit. There was about a pound of curd left that just would NOT fit in the mold, though.
When I took the wheel out of the mold, I weighed it. 6.02 pounds. And the curds had been contracted and fairly firm when I molded this cheese up, too. I've had "fluffy" curds in the past, but that wasn't the case with this cheese yesterday.
The only difference is that I am feeding my cow no commercial grain blend anymore. She is fed cooked corn, soaked beet pulp, and fodder - grain that is sprouted by soaking in water, then rinsing twice a day until there is a dense root mat and about 4 inches of growth on the top - plus she gets free choice hay. She also just freshened about a week ago.
I'm very impressed with this yield. | <urn:uuid:cd4ae9d0-7643-4ebc-9307-d151340a8906> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://cheeseforum.org/forum/index.php/topic,9564.msg69546.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.980997 | 259 | 1.585938 | 2 |
On Thursday, February 16 2012, Apple released the first beta of OS X 10.8 named Mountain Lion to Developers. I will refrain from discussing anything about the upcoming release for fear of violating Apple’s NDA, but I did come across one problem that interfered with my workflow which I solved and the disclosure that solution will not violate the NDA.
I use git to connect to my employer’s subversion server. I was using a package called git-svn which includes connectors between the two systems. Upon upgrading to the Mountain Lion beta, my git svn commands stopped working. The solution follows.
First, install the latest version of Xcode (version 4.4) for Mountain Lion. An interesting note is that in Mountain Lion, Apple decided to move it from its former home in /Developer/Xcode to /Applications/Xcode. This was the root source of many of the issues as many of the utilities were searching in the wrong place for the appropriate binaries.
Install Xcode Command Line Tools
Another change they’ve made is that the command line tools are no longer installed by default. Previously, they were included with Xcode with no additional installation necessary. To install the command line tools, launch Xcode, open the Preferences, and switch to the Downloads tab:
One of the entries there is Command Line Tools. Mine already says Installed as I’ve already installed it, but if you haven’t, it’ll appear as an Install button as the iOS 4.0 and 3.0 Device Debugging Support entries do in my screenshot above.
Link the svn Libraries
After this, you may be tempted to run a git svn command and see what happens. I received the following output:
1 2 3 4 5
The problem here is that the git svn command requires Perl libraries that aren’t linked in Mountain Lion. So, we’ll have to manually link them. Run the following in your terminal to link the library:
Now when you run git svn rebase you will likely be presented with a different error. This is good because it indicates progress! But obviously poor because it’s not working.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
So now it appears it can find the Subversion core, but cannot find some other libraries it requires. Issue the following command to remedy this:
By doing this, we’ve now linked all of the Subversion Perl directories necessary for this command to run correctly.
Update - March 19 I installed Mountain Lion DP2 over the weekend which broke this again. However, my exact instructions still applied and fixed the issue. I simply needed to install the latest version of Xcode 4.4 (available from developer.apple.com) and then run the commands listed above.
- Note, I am using the version of git from Homebrew. Your outcome may differ slightly if you are using a different version or not using Homebrew. | <urn:uuid:4bfb50dc-209b-4bc2-9ebf-6f47bddedc41> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://victorquinn.com/blog/2012/02/19/fix-git-svn-in-mountain-lion/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368710006682/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516131326-00006-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942838 | 614 | 1.820313 | 2 |
Mission DIY succulent table complete. I’ve wanted to make this baby for months. It’s a dissected old shipping crate and some other random scraps of wood lying around the house turned into a patio side table with a planting strip down the middle.
The next couple of pics show a bit of the process. The was a shipping container for artwork which I nabbed from work before they tossed it into the dumpster. Love the 3 Rs…reduce, reuse, recycle. I like these shallow crates…this guy was about 20 x 28 x 5 inches. Lots of screws on the opening end, but the other side had a ton of nails. Nothing a make shift crowbar couldn’t handle (aka a big screw driver).
The outside walls were about the same shape as I wanted the table, and I started to build everything around that size. Basically, I was making it up the design plans the whole time I was constructing this table. In the middle, the lighter colored wood (scrap), is the place where I am going to plant the succulent garden strip.
Randomly walking around looking at gardens in the hood, I spotted a big pile of old scrap lumber. I don’t know what these old scrap pieces of wood were used for originally…they were all in different lengths ranging 12-18 inches. But I thought they would make a nice rustic look for the table top. Score! Great thing was they were all the same thickness. I took the smallest one, and cut the rest down to match. In case you missed it, look up on images, you can see that I fasten all these small boards for the table top from the bottom side with some thin piece of wood.
I really tried to screw everything in so that the screws were hidden from sight. However, I figure the legs needed extra attention, aka 3 inch screws, they are visible. Those red legs by the way are from our old picnic table that once lived in the middle of our yard.
…and it passes the Matti’s strength test. Although, my buddy Jim pointed out that Max the Border Collie wasn’t so certain it would succeed.
DIY magic. But wait, the fun part. Planting in succulents. We drilled a couple holes in the bottom, covered them with screen, and put a layer of pea gravel in the bottom for drainage. Megan and I took a bunch of little succulent cuttings to plant. We tried to stay with those that grow on the shorter side. BTW, you can see more of the table and garden pics (that weekend) on our Flickr.
Yeah, another project to check off the list. Before we get going, here’s another shipping container that I transformed. Man, I swear I completed that project more recent than March 2010. Seriously need to make these DIY projects more frequent.
– Far Out Flora | <urn:uuid:784ac176-b329-4f71-83a0-7c21b2eb5699> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.faroutflora.com/2011/02/04/diy-succulent-table/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967252 | 605 | 1.695313 | 2 |
The 4 reasons why mobile ads are lousy
Ads are simultaneously an essential force in our lives and hardly in our lives at all. The paradox of advertising is that we spend most of our lives ignoring ads while we also spend hours browsing websites, reading articles, using apps, and "consuming" other "content" that could not exist without them.
That's why it matters that our attention seems to be moving toward screens where ad dollars are struggling to follow. My business column* in The Atlantic magazine this month is on mobile ads: Why they're so annoying and why it's so important that they get better -- not only for companies like Google and Facebook, who rely on digital advertising for 80+ percent of their revenue, but also for the entire media industry that has grown fat and happy expecting that advertising would always be there to pay their salaries.
The companies staring down the mobile ad challenge face three acute deficits: not enough data, not enough innovation, and not enough screen. None of these barriers are insurmountable. But no free ad-supported service could succeed without overcoming all three.
THE INFORMATION & INNOVATION & IMAGE DEFICIT
When you're snooping around the Internet on a desktop browser, do you ever notice that certain ads will follow you? Maybe you've checked out a par of sunglasses online, and every next site you open, the same pair of shades will re-load in the top banner ad. You might have many different words for this sort of advertising, such persistent, pleading, or creepy. Digital advertisers have a different word for it: re-marketing.
Remarketing (or re-targeting) means somebody leaves your site, and you show them ads on other sites to remind them to come back. It's just one way that our desktops use technology like cookies to learn more about us and serve us ads that we'll theoretically want to click on.
The single most important misconception we have about our smartphones is just how "smart" they are about us. We assume that, just because our phones are physically close to us, they must know us better than our computers. So, the ads must be more personal.
That's just not the case.
"Mobile targeting is very different because it doesn't give you the same information," said Gokul Rajaram, Facebook's product director for ads. "There are cookies on desktops so they can reach you later [through things like remarketing]. On a mobile phone, you're out of luck. It's a completely different universe so re-marketing goes to zero."
There's another reason why it's easier to follow people on computers than on mobile phones. It's harder to measure success -- or what the business calls "conversion" -- on mobile. Imagine you see an ad for a Best Buy product you actually want. On a computer, where you're comfortable shopping, you'll just buy it right there. That's an advertiser's dream. A successful conversion.
But most people don't shop on their phones. We research. You'll look up a local lunch place, but you'll pay for lunch at the restaurant. You'll snoop around for great headphones, but you'll buy them on your computer. How to you measure a successful "conversion" on a device that people don't spend money on? How do you know what ad worked and what ad didn't? It's a challenge that requires a lot of creativity.
Creativity. It's an underrated part of advertising economics. The most creative designers and copy writers and engineers design the best ads -- or ad "experiences" as they're often called now. And today, many of these people are not working in mobile for two simple reasons. The screen is too little, and the money is too little. The screen can't get much bigger, and the money won't grow until information gets better. Until it does, the smartest designers and creative thinkers in the advertising world are more likely to direct their considerable talents toward other screens and pages.
And that's how the information deficit, image-size deficit, and innovation deficit are all somewhat one and the same.
But there's a fourth deficit that isn't about the technology.
THE DIGITAL-ATTENTION DEFICIT
Along with books, ad-supported newspapers were once the entertainment hearths of the American living room. Then we added (ad-supported) radio. And (ad-supported) TV. With computers and phones came (ad-supported) sites and (ad-supported) apps. It's deceptively easy to think that as our focus shifts from platform to platform, screen to screen, advertising revenue will follow, simply because it always has.
I'm an optimist. I think attention moves faster than the ad business, and the ad business tends to follow, and it's too early to predict that there is something fundamentally flawed with digital advertising. But what if there is something fundamentally flawed with digital advertising, something fundamentally different about our attention on the Web?
"There's nothing inherently interesting about them, and insofar as they grab your attention, they tend to do so in a very annoying way, by preventing you from reading or watching the thing you were looking for ...
"In a mobile world, the distinction between being online and not being online is an increasingly silly one to draw. And as a result, the idea of using "time spent online" as a useful metric of anything, really, is equally silly."
You might think: so what? Ads are annoying. The fewer the better.
But the ability of advertising to move from platform to platform, screen to screen, is precisely what's delivered this golden age of entertainment. Every bauble on your smartphone screen is a business model, and the vast majority of them are venture-backed enterprises that rely on the promise of mobile advertising actually materializing. If ad people collectively decided that mobile is a broken platform to buy reader attention, it would mean something worse than the end of 1 inch banner ads. It would mean that our attention had finally escaped to a screen that was too small to pay. That's a pessimistic outlook, perhaps. The case for optimism is here.
*Editorial note: The column focuses mostly on the business and technology of mobile ads, and, for space reasons, we had to cut some of my musings about how the nature of attention -- and, therefore, the efficiency of advertising -- is fundamentally different on the Internet, and especially on the nibbles of Internet we consume on our phones. It was this great Felix Salmon piece that reminded me I should circle back to the digital attention deficit. | <urn:uuid:c0853b6b-117d-4587-8b1d-b2127092c1ca> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theatlantic.com/derek-thompson/t/4/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00008-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964482 | 1,360 | 1.546875 | 2 |
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN.-Moderna Museet was created, and forged an identity, with one foot in New York and the other in Paris. And for many years, it seemed as though art from around 1960 appeared to be entirely shaped by those two cities. In hindsight, however, it is obvious that other creative pockets arose in entirely different places, with just as radical artistic projects. In connection with Moderna Museets 50th Anniversary in 2008, three exhibitions will focus on three such places around the world: Rio de Janeiro, Milan/Turin and Los Angeles. The idea is to explore the period when Moderna Museet was created from an international perspective, by featuring a representative selection of works of art, architecture, design, literature, film and music never before shown together in Sweden.
Three separate catalogues will be produced for the Time & Place exhibitions by Steidl publishers.
The exhibition about Milan and Turin explores an exceedingly dynamic period in Italian 20th century art. In the 1960s, a new concept for art was established here, entailing a shift from the emotionally charged abstract expressionism to a more idea-based visual expression in muted colours. This exhibition seeks to present some of the key artists on the scene of these two emblematic cities in Northern Italy in 1958-1968.
For instance, it explores the relationship between the older generations artistic ambitions and those of the younger artist group often referred to with the collective name of Arte Povera.
The first part of the exhibition features works by Gianni Colombo, Lucio Fontana, Dadamaino, Bruno Munari, Piero Manzoni, Giulio Paolini and others, focusing on the development of themes such as monochrome painting, the fascination for spatial representation and experiments in the field between visual art and design, and not forgetting the strong drive to develop conceptual art as a genre.
The second part of the exhibition has a more documentary tone, giving visitors an experience of specific settings and the spirit of the time, using photos, objects and other documentation. It also highlights a number of seminal exhibitions and events that took place during the period.
The third part of the exhibition presents several of the artists who are strongly associated with the Arte Povera movement, with its entirely unique way of relating to the process, the idea and unconventional materials. Visitors will have the opportunity to see works by Michelangelo Pistoletto, Alighiero Boetti, Mario Merz, Giuseppe Pennone, Giulio Paolini and others.
In connection with the exhibition, Moderna Museet will also host a programme of films by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Federico Fellini and other Italian film-makers.
Curator: Luca Massimo Barbero, associate curator, the Guggenheim Museum, Venice. Project manager: Cecilia Widenheim, curator Moderna Museet. Time & Place: Milano-Torino 1958-1968 is sponsored by Scania. | <urn:uuid:4307670a-6ba7-4f2b-a25a-54f19fadf755> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.artdaily.com/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=24103&int_modo=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00018-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941214 | 618 | 1.8125 | 2 |
D. HEMANT KUMAR looks at ...
D. HEMANT KUMAR
TWO types of tourists visit London the first, the obvious tourist who comes to see the Buckingham Palace, Madame Tussads, the Tower of London, London Bridge, the Museum, Hyde Park and other tourist attractions.
Then there is the other the one who visits the City year after year; the one who has already seen the usual tourist attractions, and will not see them again; the one who does not have business to transact, yet the one London beckons to unfailingly. His attractions are the theatres, book shops, cinema-plexes and shopping centres. As per English "standards of culture", a visit to the theatre is "a sign of good breeding" not to mention impeccable taste. The "Londoner" would like to "see and be seen" watching a play and dressed to kill for the occasion. Everyone is all courtesy and etiquette and even the ushers are spectacularly dressed. A visit to the theatre is perhaps the last salute to a "Victorian Era". After the event, the applause is appropriate without being boisterous and the smiles in moderation. And horror of horrors no one makes a bee line for the exit. It's a standing ovation for the artistes. If the play is a hit, the applause continues, the curtain rising and falling until a voice informs you that the artistes are definitely leaving.
The musicals and the bookshops certainly top the list of the second type of tourist. Imagine having to make a choice from 40 musicals! When this writer was there, the rage was "My Fair Lady", Abba, "The Sound of Music".
And of course, continuing unabated are the evergreen hits "Phantom of the Opera", "The Mousetrap", "Les Miserables" "Miss Saigon", the latter an absolute topper head and shoulders above the rest. Watching it is fast paced enchantment, with a change in setting every few minutes, fast and lively background music, a lovely story line and borrowing a phrase from Saddam Hussain, the "Mother of all musicals".
As for bookshops, those lined on either side of Charing Cross road are an absolute "treat" for the book lover. Topping the list is either the Foyles, a huge book shop across three storeys and one that calls itself the biggest one in the world, or Waterstones with its multiple branches in London. Borders is another treat opposite Foyles. And here's another one. Watkins specialises in philosophy, mysticism and the occult and has books on these subjects from around the world.
And then of course there are the other ones that specialise in women's writing, second hand books, out-of-print books, military history and so on. Should you need any book published anywhere in the world the best place to try for them is here, with many of the outlets specialising in shipping publications across the world.
Numerous cinema houses dot the Tottenham Court Road area, and you can be rubbing shoulders with celebrities at any given moment.
Oxford Circus will satisfy the avid shopper. Malls like Selfridges, Marks and Spencers and Dobenhams stun you with their array of goods. In another direction at "Kinghtsbridge" is the most sophisticated mall in London Harrods where royalty once did its shopping. Spread across five-storeys, it's perhaps the last word in quality, style and taste.
London is host to a diversity and is a melting pot of culture. So, this brings me to the subject of food. Do try out this London delight the "jacket potato" with different fillings of your choice both vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
A couple of years ago there was this comedy a runaway hit "If it is Tuesday, this must be Belgium". In the same vein, the avid London lover will say: "If it is a holiday, it must be in London".
O! to be in London!
Send this article to Friends by | <urn:uuid:d267d768-068d-4467-a8ce-6003104fe650> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hindu.com/thehindu/mag/2004/02/01/stories/2004020100150700.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00010-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941974 | 844 | 1.742188 | 2 |
Got time? Check out the new trailer for Chinese director Zhang Yimou’s World War II drama “The Flowers of War”, starring Christian Bale and lots of Chinese women fighting against some meanie Japanese types. It’s similar to the first trailer for the movie that surfaced last month, though I think this one is geared more towards an English-speaking audience, with the focus squarely on Bale’s priest character and the women who shows up at his church for help.
Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Hero, House of the Flying Daggers) tells an epic story of love and sacrifice in THE FLOWERS OF WAR, starring Christian Bale and introducing Ni Ni.
The film, set during the Japanese invasion of China, is told from a young girl’s point of view, not as a history lesson, but as an intimate, elemental and paradoxically universal celebration of the human spirit. Bale stars as a dissolute Westerner who seeks refuge in a Catholic Church. There he meets a beautiful Chinese courtesan who helps him rescue a group of schoolgirls from a terrible fate at the hands of the Japanese.
The film represents one of China’s most ambitious productions, involving the recreation of 1937 Nanking built from scratch over a one-year period and the collaboration of one of Hollywood’s most sought after leading men (Christian Bale).
Starring Christian Bale, Tong Da-wei, Cao Kefan, Zhang Yimou, and Paul Schneider.
The film opens this December 16th in China, then comes Stateside, with a December 21st one-week run in Los Angeles and New York for another one-week on the 23rd, before opening wide sometime in late 2012. | <urn:uuid:521782c9-5a76-49bb-9d26-728b1a8af840> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.beyondhollywood.com/new-international-trailer-for-zhang-yimous-the-flowers-of-war/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00002-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935681 | 368 | 1.523438 | 2 |
Posted November 10, 2011 by Rachelle Owen
Did you know that every year, countless homeless dogs and cats end up being sold into the animal testing industry?
That’s right—as if abandoned, lost, or stolen animals don’t have it hard enough living on the streets or in animal shelters, they sometimes end up on laboratory tables to be used in disease experiments, chemical tests, and more.
Across the United States each year, a small handful of Class B animal dealers—also known as “random source” dealers—acquire dogs and cats who may have been stolen from yards, picked up on the streets, taken from animal shelters, or obtained fraudulently from well-intentioned people who place “free to a good home” ads.
Take action NOW! Click here to send a message to your U.S. senators and representatives asking them to support the Pet Safety and Protection Act of 2011 (H.R. 2256), which would prohibit Class B dealers from selling animals to laboratories.
Father loves to farm, be self sustainable, loves to read, he's a antiques/vintage auctioneer, art student, and looks like mr. Rogers. My mother is a Montessori teacher and is amazing with children, all about local organic foods, loves gardening, cooking etc. my sister who is nine years older than me was into indie music and introduced me to all sorts of things at a young age. This all rubbed of on me and from that base I grew into similar things. I'm an INFJ
Well let's just say life ain't always beautiful but it's a beautiful ride. I love all my pets and would do anything for them. I have one dog, two cats, a ferret and my babygirl shaymin,(the cutest hedgehog alive) I'm into all different kinds of music. I'm a singer myself and love art.
I want to get into marketing but not have to rely on people which have different morals and worldviews than I do to hire me. While I'm figuring this out, I want to show everyone what I believe in and spur them into action against injustices.
I am Angela. When I am not helping animals I am listening to music, reading, or playing video games. My spirit animal is a fox and I love nature. What else is there to know? Want to know anything about me, need advice or anything message me :) | <urn:uuid:bcc7af0a-6777-4432-9cab-c29568a3c188> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.peta2.com/blog/homeless-dogs-and-cats-being-sold-to-labs-help/?send_to=moonlitwings%20 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00013-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960312 | 506 | 1.757813 | 2 |
The combination of classic American kitsch and the Japanese love for it makes Las Vegas a mandatory stop on any Japanese person’s tour of the U.S. This is how I find myself in Las Vegas now with two Japanese home stay students.
As we drove up to our $290 million, 4,000-room hotel, I noticed the girls had terrified expressions on their faces. That’s when I realized that to Japanese people, the Excalibur Hotel, which is designed after a medieval castle with a drawbridge, moat and phantasmagorical spires, looks like a giant version of a Japanese love hotel. I assured the girls that this was not the case, but with the flashing marquee advertising the hotel’s all-male revue from Australia called “Thunder From Down Under,” I was hardly convincing.
Next door to the Excalibur stands the 30-story pyramid-shaped Luxor hotel, the second-largest hotel in the U.S., with 4,408 rooms. On down the Las Vegas strip were more and more giant hotels. Do we really need such big hotels? Yes — to accommodate the big spenders.
And I’m not talking about big money. I won’t call the big spenders fat, as that would be an insensitive and politically incorrect way to describe people who look more like SUVs — or modern versions of Herbie the Love Bug. So instead, I’ll call them “horizontal people,” because they are wider than they are tall. There’s nothing politically incorrect about the word “horizontal,” is there? It sounds like the horizon, that’s all.
According to a September issue of Time magazine, 35 percent of Americans are overweight, and 26 percent more are obese. This is bad news for people like me, who are beginning to look proportionately smaller. At 150 cm and 47 kg, in the U.S. these days I could be classified as a bug. As a matter of fact, I noticed several people getting out their magnifying glasses when speaking to me. I’m a bit afraid that while walking down the street one day, someone will step on me and end my life. I should start a new campaign: air bags for pedestrians!
My home stay students continue to wear terrified expressions on their faces. That’s because they aren’t much bigger than I am. What if the horizontal people suddenly decide to have a touch football game? We would be obvious candidates for the ball.
Looking at all the horizontal people — some in the endless ice cream cue at the 24-hour snack bar, others in wheelchairs because they are too big to move around on their own, and even others driving around inside the casinos in electric carts — I see imaginary cartoon balloons above each person’s head that say “high blood pressure,” “heart disease” or “diabetes.”
Imagine what this could do to evolution! OK, let’s not. But imagine what it could do for our country. We could certainly have a national sumo wrestling team. Hand-to-hand combat may replace guns. If we have a sumo military, wars could be fought in tournaments. However, since most of the world is provertical, we would have no one to fight but ourselves.
I realized that in America, a nation obsessed with all-you-can-eat buffets, there is no danger of a stagnant economy. People will always need bigger and better things, more machines and more health care.
The home stay girls remain puzzled by the horizontal people. I am too. There’s just no way to explain the decadence of America.
But after three days in Las Vegas, I think we’re at least feeling a little more comfortable with America’s super size. As we crawl back to our hotel at the end of each day, it’s nice to return to a medieval castle with 4,000 rooms. After all, the tunnels and chambers give it the feel of a bug colony. In a kitsch nest, that is. | <urn:uuid:c55851ba-e8fe-40ac-99bb-182876b4598a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2002/08/31/community/fear-and-loathing-in-xxl-las-vegas/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368711005985/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516133005-00007-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954895 | 866 | 1.609375 | 2 |
Eatery donates to fire dept.
Published: Saturday, December 1, 2012 at 5:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, November 29, 2012 at 7:14 p.m.
PALM COAST — Seeing a group of firefighters at Firehouse Subs on Palm Coast Parkway is not unusual. But on Thursday morning the first responders were not there to get lunch, but to receive some new equipment courtesy of the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.
Members of the Palm Coast Fire Department were on hand for the presentation of two Firelite transport skid packages, valued at more than $16,000. The skids are placed in the bed of a pickup truck for use during brushfires and "mopping up" details, according to Fire Chief Mike Beadle.
"Having this equipment benefits not only Palm Coast, but the county," Beadle said. "We envision these are going to be used for mopping up to make sure a fire doesn't rekindle."
Beadle said the trucks can also be used to fight vehicle fires on Interstate 95 where the water and fire retardant foam can be used quickly.
Beadle said the idea for the skids came from an experience a couple of years ago when there was a fire in the Seminole Woods area of the city where the smaller unit could have been used to fight the blaze before the larger fire engines arrived on scene.
"It's one of those things that are nice to have, but we didn't have budgeted," he said.
Beadle had high praise for Firehouse Subs and local franchisees David and Melinda Hause.
"They understand what we do," he said.
In fact, the local restaurant often sends food out to firefighters when they are battling blazes in the city.
"This is a great community partnership we've got going," Beadle said.
David Hause said the donation is part of the company's commitment to the communities it serves.
"It's very exciting to be able to be part of this," he said. "We've been here for about 10 years and it's a great community to be a part of."
Palm Coast Mayor Jon Netts said the donation is especially welcome given tight budget constraints.
"In this economy to have our local businesses give back is a wonderful, warm feeling," he said. "Talk about giving back to the community, this is wonderful."
Funds for the company's Public Safety Foundation are raised through donations and a "round up" program where customers can round up their bill to the nearest dollar to donate. The company also sells leftover 5-gallon pickle barrels to customers for $2, with the proceeds going to the foundation.
The nonprofit foundation has donated more than $5.2 million to fire, police and emergency medical agencies across the nation.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged. | <urn:uuid:e2553d3c-37f4-4c2c-814c-a757965411ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.news-journalonline.com/article/20121201/BUSINESS/311299951/1033/BUSINESS03?Title=Eatery-donates-to-fire-dept- | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00005-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965213 | 631 | 1.59375 | 2 |
Wednesday, June 23
10 a.m. College Union
Nonprofit leaders will learn about
the power of women’s philanthropy
at Manchester seminar
More women are in the workforce than ever before. Women live longer than men. More women are college graduates. Women are responsible for the vast majority of consumer purchases. Women’s median income has soared.
There’s power in the female demographic – power to transform.
“Women are becoming a powerful financial force, and they are increasingly looking at their money as an opportunity to make a change,” said Louise E. Jackson, director of development and women’s philanthropy for Manchester College. “Manchester College recognizes this growing phenomenon and is responding by focusing on women and their giving.”
Nonprofit leaders are invited to learn more about "The Transformational Power of Women’s Philanthropy" at a free seminar on Wednesday, June 23 at the College. Lead presenter for the seminar is Andrea Pactor, associate director of the Women’s Philanthropy Institute of The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.
The morning event begins at 10 a.m. in the College Union of the North Manchester campus, about 45 minutes west of Fort Wayne. Register online or call toll-free 888-257-2586.
“Women are increasingly emerging as significant philanthropists,” said Manchester College President Jo Young Switzer. “As the number of women who are wealth holders increases, so do their chances to support nonprofit agencies. “Nonprofit organizations need to learn how we can learn more about what motivates women to give … how can we link these new philanthropists’ interests with the missions of our organizations.”
The seminar, sponsored by The Jo Young Switzer Fund (supported by women philanthropists), is part of a major commitment by the College to involve more women in philanthropy and to provide them opportunities to give back to Manchester.
Andrea Pactor has worked with arts, education and faith-based organizations for more than 25 years, including with the Jewish Community Center in Indianapolis, the Herron School of Art and the Indiana Arts Commission. | <urn:uuid:9ba30ee4-7d36-44eb-852f-cb47e899567e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.manchester.edu/News/WomenPhilanthropySeminarJune2010.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00012-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951201 | 450 | 1.734375 | 2 |
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